Under the veil of mystery of a Korean performance

Curiosity hits a peak as DPRK stars take center stage. Chen Jie and Duan Yan report from Beijing.

When Kim Il-hwang stepped onto the stage on Thursday night, he was not only taking part in arguably the biggest production staged in China by an acting troupe from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - he was also keeping up a family tradition.

The 29-year-old is one of 198 performers with the Pibada Opera Company who arrived in Beijing this week for a four-night run of the classic Chinese tale A Dream of Red Mansions at the BTV theater.