Nord Korean orchestra to perform in Britain

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea's main symphony orchestra will play in Britain in September in the communist country's largest-ever musical performances abroad, a U.S. government-funded radio station reported.

The State Symphony Orchestra of the reclusive communist regime will perform three times in London and Middlesbrough and British Broadcasting Corp. television will broadcast each concert live, Radio Free Asia reported on its Web site. It cited a British businessman who said he arranged the tour.

A spokeswoman for London's Royal Festival Hall, where the report said the orchestra would play on Sept. 9, said discussions were taking place but nothing was confirmed.

The Radio Free Asia report quoted businessman David Heather as saying Middlesbrough was chosen because that was where the North Korean soccer team beat Italy in a historic 1966 World Cup match. The 1-0 victory made North Korea the first Asian country to reach the quarterfinals of soccer's global showpiece.

The New York Philharmonic is scheduled to perform in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, in February.

The North Korean orchestra will include 120 musicians and 30 support personnel, the report posted last week said. The concerts will be North Korea's largest musical performances in a foreign country, the report said.

The orchestra played in South Korea's capital, Seoul, in 2000 following the first-ever summit between the two countries' leaders.