North Korea to send orchestra to Winter Olympics

The two sides are discussing plans for the North's delegation at Panmunjom village in the demilitarised zone (DMZ), also known as the truce village.

North Korea announced last week that it would send a delegation to the Games in the South - easing months of tensions.

Relations have been strained between the two Koreas over the North's missile tests and nuclear programme.

North Korea has participated in several Olympic Games before, but never in South Korea. It boycotted the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

Details of the diplomatically complicated plan are still being ironed out.

The Samjiyon Band is a long-respected nationalist orchestra that forms part of the Mansudae Art Troupe, a longstanding opera and music group that was founded in 1969.

The group is largely made up of women musicians and most of its members play string instruments. They are known for giving classical song and dance performances and the Korean government says they play an important role in promoting friendship overseas.

They often perform for officials to mark the start of Lunar New Year, and have given numerous high-level performances at other key events in the last decade, including the three-year anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's army in December 2014.

Many of their song lyrics speak of praise for the country's leadership - past and present. 

In the meanwhile, only two North Korean athletes currently qualify for the Games - figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik. However, the North's involvement in the Games is seen as a good public relations opportunity for both sides, and a chance to lower geopolitical tensions between the two neighbours.

South Korea has proposed that athletes from both the North and South march jointly together in the opening ceremony. North Korea is said to be "positively" considering this.