[Joint Press Corp]
SEOUL -- Instead of ballistic missiles and strategic weapons, Psy, known for his global hit song "Gangnam Style", pulled a never-seen-before gig, taking the leading part at an official Armed Forces Day ceremony attended by President Moon Jae-in, top military commanders and diplomats.
It was not a post-ceremony party but the main part of an official program in an annual ceremony which used to involve a military parade displaying South Korea's firepower. The ceremony on Monday night followed a series of inter-Korean summits.
[Yonhap Photo]
Wearing a black costume decorated with gold, which resembled a military ceremonial dress, the 40-year-old singer and back dancers stepped into a circular stage to wild cheers and applause by thousands of citizens and soldiers waving light sticks. They were soon frenzied as Psy performed his hit songs.
When Psy's 10-minute concert came to a climax, hundreds of soldiers wearing combat uniforms and ceremonial dresses poured onto the stage forming a human circle to sing and dance together with the sky lit by searchlights and fireworks.
Unlike previous day-time ceremonies, this year's ceremony was held at night on the plaza of the War Memorial of Korea near central Seoul so that South Koreans can enjoy it via TVs and smartphones at home.
[Yonhap Photo]
The ceremony started with Moon entering the stage with a salute of 21 guns. Black Eagles, South Korean Air Force's aerobatic team, flew across the night sky of Seoul for the first time, mesmerizing the audience. The opening event was followed by Taekwondo demonstrations and the display of small military equipment such as drones and robots.
Ok Taec-yeon, a singer-actor who is serving his mandatory military service, made a surprise appearance on the stage wearing the high-tech battle gear called "Warrior Platform" including advanced bulletproof helmets and sniper rifles.
"We are now leaving behind the history of war and confrontation to open a new era of peace and prosperity," Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said in a speech, adding the military would prop up Moon's initiative to bring enduring peace and denuclearization to the Korean peninsula.
