Pop stars hold charity concert for NK defectors

K-pop girl band Jewelry will perform in a charity festival for North Korean defectors at Coex, Seoul, on Saturday. / Korea Times file

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By Park Sung-hee

Popular Korean stars will take part in a charity art festival for children from North Korea.

The concert, slated to take place at Coex Auditorium, Samseong-dong, Seoul, Saturday, will feature singers, comedians and actors, including K-pop bands Jewelry and December, comedian Seo Kyung-suk and musical actress Sunwoo.

All performers have agreed to give all the proceeds from the festival to help out families in need.

The annual event, which began in 2007, aims to provide recreation for socially marginalized groups including multicultural families, teenage North Korean defectors and children from low-income households. It is also designed to raise public awareness about the said groups.

Some 70 North Korean teens are slated to attend the concert. In addition to music performances by stars, the lineup also features a martial arts act, percussion band, magic show and acrobatic sequences.

"With this concert I hope to bring comfort to the young adults who feel any cultural, social alienation from our society", said Kim Sun-ae, chairman in charge of the festival.