The Hague, Netherlands - The world-famous Children's Folk Ballet of Korea, The Little Angels, will perform in the Netherlands on Wednesday, September 15, starting 19.30, at the Lucent Danstheater in The Hague.
The Little Angels are currently undertaking a worldwide tour of the 16 nations that sent troops to Korea to defend the peace and freedom of the Korean people from North Korea’s invasion of the South 60 years ago, on June 25, 1950. “We want to give the veterans a breathtaking and heartwarming performance that will delight them, and at the same time astound them with the contrast between the ragged children they remember begging in the gutter in 1953 and those ‘visions of perfection’ they will see on stage today,” said Dr. Bo Hi Pak, founding director of the Little Angels and a Korean War veteran himself.
In discussing plans for the visit to The Netherlands, Dr. Pak, who is also the co-chairman and executive director of Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Project, said, "We feel a very deep sense of Divine mission to do this, to show the Korean peoples’ thanks and appreciation to those Korean War heroes." He emphasized, "the Korean people's bottomless gratitude toward Holland and the Dutch veterans for their sacrifice."
The Korean War is often referred to as "the Forgotten War." Sixty years ago, Korea was hardly known, it was very far away, and people did not like to contemplate communist aggression as they were trying to recover from World War II. There was minimal media coverage and no formal conclusion of the war, only a ceasefire. There was relatively little appreciation extended to veterans when they returned. But the Koreans have never forgotten, and they welcome all veterans who visit the land they defended. Now Korea is sending its greatest cultural "Ambassadors of Good Will" and "Angels of Peace" to the world, with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak enthusing ,"I highly praise and value their efforts, and hope that the Little Angels' performances will be welcomed and accepted by the people in the countries they visit.”
The Dutch memorial committee is headed by Jhr. Dr. P.A.C. Beelaerts van Blokland, former Minister of Housing, Planning & State Buildings and former Queen's Commissioner. Members include Dr. W.F. van Eekelen, former Minister of Defense, former Ambassador, and member of the Netherlands Advisory Committee on European Integration; and Dr. J.W. Bertens, former Ambassador and former Member of the European Parliament. In allocating tickets, the committee will be giving priority to the Dutch veterans of the war. The tour is being supported by the Universal Peace Federation.
Since their founding in 1962, the Little Angels have performed a number of times at the White House in Washington, D.C., at the United Nations in New York, at Buckingham Palace in London, in the Kremlin in Moscow, in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, as well as at many other notable venues throughout the world; including before the young Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands. The New York Times has called them "...a phenomenal company," while London's Evening Standard said the Little Angels are "...so brilliant that it is very difficult to believe that the average age is ten." Invited to take part in the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, they represented to the world the dignity of the Korean people.
“But our most important performances of all,” said Dr. Pak, “are awaiting us on this upcoming tour, because they will be perhaps the final ‘thank you’ we can make to our precious Korean War veterans in the twilight years of their lives.”
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For a news article about the program, click here.