Tokyo: North Korea has invited Japanese
woman magician Tenko Hikita to attend the planned December 28
funeral for its leader Kim Jong Il who died last weekend, her
manager claimed on Wednesday.
Hikita, who has performed several magic shows in North
Korea, received the invitation over the phone and via e-mail
from one of Kim's relatives, the manager said, adding that the
magician has not yet decided whether to attend.
The invitation came despite the decision to ban foreign
representatives from the funeral.
The magician was invited to North Korea in 1998 and 2000
to perform magic shows and attend Kim's private dinners, the
manager said.
Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial leader whose iron
rule and nuclear ambitions dominated world security fears for
more than a decade, died at the age of 69 due to a massive
heart attack last weekend.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 16:40