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E1 N TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007 By DANIEL J. WAKIN If North Korea keeps its prom- ises, potentially millions of its iso- lated, tightly controlled citizens are likely to hear their national anthem played on the radio by the New York Philharmonic. And then... More

E1 N TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007 By DANIEL J. WAKIN If North Korea keeps its prom- ises, potentially millions of its iso- lated, tightly controlled citizens are likely to hear their national anthem played on the radio by the New York Philharmonic. And then they will hear “The Star- Spangled Banner,” a quintessen- tial American symbol, in a place long subjected to anti-American propaganda. Today the orchestra is to present details of its planned trip to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, in late February. So far it has declined to discuss repertory. But State Department officials, who have advised the orchestra as it was deciding whether to ac- cept an invitation, have said the government there will allow the American anthem. Korea experts familiar with the closed, anti-United States nature of the government said the play- ing of “The Star-Spangled Ban- ner” in North Korea was a rather startling prospect. “This would be a significant achievement,” said Peter Beck, the executive directo Less