Heart touches heart
One day, the Little Angels general director, Dr. Bo Hi Pak, received an invitation. It was from the United Kingdom. In the early 1970s, it was very difficult for a Korean to go to Great Britain but, amazingly, the Little Angels were invited to perform for the British royal family. Such an invitation had never before been extended to a performer from anywhere in the Far East, let alone Korea.
The dancers quickly packed their bags. Reaching London required that they change planes several times. At the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium, held for Queen Elizabeth II in 1971, among all the outstanding performers, these beautiful girls from the Republic of Korea were a bright light. Their cute yet dynamic and colorful dances brought several standing ovations. The event was highlighted in the newspapers and on television the next day. In the minds of the British people, Korea was no longer a cultural backwater, but rather a nation with a vibrant artistic tradition.
The lovely voices of the Little Angels of Korea have now been heard in more than 80 nations. They have toured five continents and performed over 7,000 times, including at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, and the United Nations General Assembly in 1973. They have appeared on television more than 800 times and have met many presidents and prime ministers. They performed for the bicentennial celebration of America’s independence and the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea. They have toured Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Everywhere they have gone, they have received praise and applause. In the spring of 1990, they performed in Moscow, the Soviet Union, and melted the hearts of communist leaders. In May 1998, their performance in Pyongyang, North Korea, contributed to efforts for reconciliation between North and South Korea.
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Among the most meaningful of the Little Angels’ tours was when they visited each of the 22 nations that participated in the United Nations’ response during the Korean War. In 2010, to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, we sent the Little Angels to perform for the war veterans of the 22 nations that had sent troops or humanitarian and medical aid. It was among the most meaningful of the Little Angels’ tours. Over a period of three years, they visited each nation, offering a “performance of gratitude” in honor of the veterans. We in Korea had received extraordinary assistance from these nations in our hour of need, and we declared that it was time to give something back. Those whom we met still remembered Korea vividly, and many said they had never ceased loving our country.
Some Koreans at home criticized the tour because we were a private group and did not officially represent the government. But we represented the heart of the Korean people, as well as God’s heart. In every country, war veterans proudly came on stage in our performances wearing their faded uniforms and showcasing their medals. This brings up one uplifting story.
Ethiopia and the Republic of South Africa were the two African nations that sent troops. In the 1980s, when communists took power in Ethiopia, they displaced all the Korean War veterans to a camp on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. In reality, that place was like a concentration camp. The veterans shared painful memories of how the regime had persecuted them, and how they had to sell their medals to provide for their families. When they saw the Little Angels, they were moved to tears as they realized that the poor, ragged, divided nation of Korea was now a developed nation ready to thank them. The happy ending is that the Little Angels’ concert brought the veterans’ plight to the attention of the present government, which is now making up for past mistreatment.
At the tour’s concert in Washington, DC, Korean War veterans in their eighties wept when the Little Angels sang “Arirang” and “God Bless America.” In Copenhagen, Denmark, Princess Benedikte joined some 300 veterans of the war effort to watch the performance.
After a warm welcome by Nepalese students and citizens upon the arrival in Kathmandu, the Little Angels performed brilliantly at the inauguration of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, an event that took place in 2016. The Nepalese were deeply moved by the concert held at the presidential palace as well as in other performance halls, and their media gave the Little Angels high praise: “The Little Angels are representatives who are answering God’s call; they are guardian angels, spreading peace worldwide.”
August 11, 2019: Dedication of the Hyojeong International Cultural Center, HJ Cheonwon, South Korea
A child alone may not make much impact but when a group of children come together and sing with pure hearts, their voices can melt hardened hearts and dispel war and conflict. People often think that politics moves the world, but that is not the case. It is culture and art that move the world. It is affection, not reason, that touches people in their innermost being. When hearts become receptive, ideologies and political regimes can change.
Half a century ago, the Little Angels set out to bring Korean culture to the world. They were a harbinger of the Korean wave, including K-Pop, that is currently sweeping the world. Wherever you go in the world, cheers and applause for Korean culture abound. The beginning point of this phenomenon was the Little Angels’ concert at Gettysburg in 1965. The children’s innocent performances continue to captivate audiences and remind skeptics of the truth that we can become one.