US orchestra's N.Korean trip 'a disgrace': New York paper
NEW YORK (AFP) — The New York Philharmonic has run into criticism surrounding its landmark trip to North Korea later this month, with the city's leading tabloid labeling the Pyongyang concert "a disgrace."
"The New York Philharmonic was set to hand North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il a propaganda coup when it tours the tyrant's economically and morally destitute realms later this month," the paper wrote in a broadside editorial Tuesday.
"And then (musical director) Lorin Maazel opened his mouth -- and made things worse," it continued, criticizing the 77-year-old maestro for comments suggesting the United States had a less-than-perfect human rights record.
An official from the Philharmonic, which has already left the United States for the Asian tour that includes the Pyongyang concert, said a spokesman would not be available to comment on the Post's editorial.
The February 26 concert represents an unprecedented cultural exchange between North Korea and the United States, which labeled Pyongyang part of the "Axis of Evil" along with Iran and Iraq, prior to the US-led 2003 war there.
The concert comes exactly one year after North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear program, although Pyongyang has since failed to meet a December 31 deadline to make a complete declaration of its atomic activities.
"The Philharmonic's visit was always ill-advised -- a starry-eyed attempt at 'sunshine' diplomacy by State Department idealists," the New York Post said.
"But until Maazel ran his mouth, one could at least still hope the farce would be limited in effect. Not any more. It's time for all New Yorkers to know the visit for what it is. A disgrace," it said.
