South Korea is to ship karaoke machines in special aid consignments to famine-stricken North Korea, a charity group said Tuesday.
Ten karaoke machines containing 4,000 South Korean and US pop songs will be sent by the Korean Sharing Movement (KSM), a private charity which is also providing goats and underwear in its emergency aid.
A freighter carrying the karaoke machines, which are worth about 20,000 dollars, and other items is to leave the western port of Inchon on Wednesday and arrive in Nampo in North Korea the following day.
The shipment also includes 120 goats, 60 tons of goat feed, 45,500 bottles of cooking oil, 120 tons of flour, 17,000 sets of underwear, 325 boxes of winter garments and 2,562 boxes of stationery.
The karaoke machines were collected by electronics traders at a Seoul market who hoped to "contribute to inter-Korean reconciliation," said a KSM official.
"At first we wondered whether the North would accept such gifts," he said. But the karaoke machines are to be installed at the Children's Palace in Pyongyang, a hub for indoctrination of young students in the communist country, he added.
Military songs were taken off the karaoke machines in consideration of the North's sensitivities, the official said -- SEOUL (AFP)
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