KBS announced Wednesday that 16 producers, technicians and directors and actors Choe Jae-seong, Kim Sang-jung, and Jeon Hae-jin had arrived in Pyongyang to begin shooting scenes for the historical soap opera titled 'The Imperial Morning.' An official said that the team would stay in North Korea for eight days, shooting the title background of the series and inserts for Goryo Dynasty scenes.

He added that actors are preparing to shoot the epic on Baekdu Mountain where temperature falls to -30 degrees Celsius at this time of year. Aside from producing the soap opera, KBS is planning another media exchange project with North Korea.

The production team for the soap opera reportedly entered into the North by way of Beijing, China from Seoul on January 21 after show producer, Ahn Yeong-dong originally contacted the Korean Central Broadcasting Station in April last year.

KBS is looking to boost the shows PR effect by shooting in the North for the first time ever in Korean TV history. It is also expected to enable a large number of entertainment industry workers to enter North Korea, giving them an opportunity to exchange inter-Korean media culture.

KBS is assessing two projects, namely a KBS Symphony Orchestra's concert in Pyongyang and 'Inter-Korean Singing Contest' in the celebration of the second anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration. The company has made inter-Korea media exchange one of its top ten projects this year.

(Jin Seong-ho, shjin@chosun.com )