Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Su-hyun announces the resumption of performances by a military band and an honor guard at Fountain Square in front of Cheong Wa Dae, at the Chunchugwan press center at Cheong Wa Dae on May 24.

By Sohn JiAe

Photos = Jeon Han 

Performances by a military band and a guard of honor, events to entertain Cheong Wa Dae visitors, will now begin anew. 

“The office for presidential security has announced that the military performances will resume at Fountain Square in front of Cheong Wa Dae in an effort to offer a spectacle to visitors near the presidential residence, and also to develop a friendlier image,” said Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Su-hyun on May 24. 

“The performances will start at 10:30 a.m. on May 27 and continue for about 50 minutes until 11:20 a.m. Following the May 27 performance, three more performances are scheduled for June 3 and then June 10,” the spokesperson said. 

Performances by a military band and an honor guard, which have been halted for seven months, will resume on May 27. Pictured is an honor guard of soldiers from the Ministry of National Defense performing in 2013.

The performances used to take place on a regular basis, 10 performances in the spring, and another 10 performances in the autumn since 2006, but they`ve been halted for seven months now. 

The military band and honor guard comprise of 209 individuals from the Ministry of National Defense. Most performances begin with a parade for five minutes. Then, they play military music with drums and other percussion instruments for 15 minutes. Then there`s a martial arts demonstration and a display of some manual exercises by a traditional-costumed tri-service honor guard, which each last for 10 minutes. 

After the performances, the troupe pauses to pose for photos with the spectators. 

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