Baek Ji-young "I said I had no towel, then suddenly there was one... Felt like being wiretapped" Behind the Scenes in Pyongyang

"Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il Photos Slightly Misaligned Are Deleted"
"'Like Being Shot' Was Also Requested by the North"

Singer Baek Ji-young, who participated in a North Korean Pyongyang performance in 2018, shared anecdotes from that time through her YouTube channel.

Previously, Baek Ji-young visited Pyongyang in April 2018 for a South-North peace cooperation commemorative performance. At the event, she sang songs such as "Like Being Shot" and "Don't Forget." On the 14th, she uploaded a video titled "A Slightly Sensitive Behind-the-Scenes Story about Kim Jong-un" on her YouTube channel, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the Pyongyang performance.

She recalled taking a group photo with Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, saying, "I happened to stand right behind the Chairman, but the photographer said, 'Because of the people in front, the person behind might not be visible, so please either sit down or lower your posture.' Then suddenly, Chairman Kim said, 'I'm also in the first row, so are you telling me to lower myself?'"

Singer Baek Ji-young posing for a group photo with Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea (left) [Image source=Baek Ji-young YouTube]

She continued, "Then the atmosphere suddenly became tense, and everyone was watching each other carefully," adding, "It turned out he was joking. It felt unreal."

She also mentioned that certain photos taken in Pyongyang were immediately deleted by the aides, saying, "If there was even a slight blur in the photos of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in the city of Pyongyang, they told us to delete them all," and added, "If the photos were even a little blurry or crooked, they deleted all of them. It seemed like they were deifying (Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il)."

Baek Ji-young also shared a story related to the song "Like Being Shot" that she performed during the concert. She said, "The North side chose the songs. I don't know why they picked those two songs," and confessed, "At that time, North Korea's political situation was right after purges, so when I sang 'Like Being Shot,' it felt very strange." In fact, Chairman Kim had purged high-ranking officials over several years after taking power in 2011. It is reported that several officials were executed even in the year the event was held.

Baek Ji-young also pointed out a unique aspect of the hotel where she stayed in Pyongyang. She said, "They told us not to mention names like Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il inside the hotel if possible. Once, I said in my hotel room, 'There are no towels,' but when I came back after going out, there were towels," suggesting she felt she was being eavesdropped on.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.