N Korea thought Clapton may encourage ‘good will’ towards US: Wikileaks
By ANIMonday, December 13, 2010
NEW YORK - Whistle blowing web site Wikileaks has revealed that North Korea asked the US to arrange an Eric Clapton concert in Pyongyang as Kim Jong-il’s son was ‘a great fan’ of the rock legend.
The officials thought that it could help persuade Kim Jong-il to allow humanitarian aid into the country, reports the New York Daily News.
A “performance could be an opportunity to build goodwill,” the May 22 2007 cable said, according to the Guardian.
It went on to say: “arranging an Eric Clapton concert in Pyongyang could be useful, given Kim Jong-il’s second son’s devotion to the rock legend”.
North Korea said the concert could be part of a cultural exchange between the communist nation and the west.
Clapton reportedly had “in principle” agreed to a concert slated for 2009, but the plan later fell apart after his representatives released a statement denying that he had agreed to take part. (ANI)
