Members of South Korean art troupe's advance team wave hands at Gimpo International Airport, Thursday. / Yonhap

An advance team of a South Korean art troupe will head to North Korea on Thursday for their performances in Pyongyang ahead of the historic inter-Korean summit scheduled for late April.

A 160-member South Korean art troupe, including celebrated K-pop singers Cho Yong-pil, Red Velvet and Seohyun, is scheduled to visit North Korea from Saturday to Tuesday for two performances -- on Sunday and Tuesday. They will be accompanied by some 30 taekwondo players, reporters and government officials.

Some 70 technicians will depart Seoul at about 10:30 a.m. aboard two chartered flights to Pyongyang via a direct air route over the Yellow Sea, according to culture ministry officials.

They will install stage equipment at venues for the performances -- the East Pyongyang Grand Theater and the Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium -- and check them.

Moon-Kim summit to be held April 27 2018-03-29 14:48  |  North Korea
The main group, including the singers, taekwondo players, reporters and government officials, is scheduled to leave Saturday.

It will be the first performances by South Korean artists in the North since 2005, when Cho Yong-pil had a solo concert at the Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium. The South Korean delegation will return home Tuesday night. (Yonhap)