Since 1965, when they held their first overseas performance in the United States, the Little Angels have been introducing Korea’s beautiful tradition all over the world. They were invited by the British royal family to perform in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. They were invited to take part in the bicentennial celebration in the United States, where they performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. They gave a special performance for U.S. President Richard Nixon, and they took part in the cultural and performing arts festival that was part of the Seoul Olympic Games. The Little Angels are known around the world as cultural ambassadors for peace.

       The following is something that happened in 1990, when I visited Russia. The Little Angels gave a performance on the night before I was to leave Russia, after having met President Mikhail Gorbachev. Korea’s little girls stood in the center of Moscow, the center of communism. After performing Korean dances dressed in their hanboks, the Little Angels sang Russian folk songs with their beautiful voices. Shouts of “Encore!” from the audience made it impossible for them to come off the stage. In the end, they completely exhausted their repertoire of songs. First Lady Raisa Gorbachev was seated in the audience. South Korea and Russia had not yet established diplomatic relations, and it was very unusual for the first lady to attend a cultural performance from such a country. However, Mrs. Gorbachev sat in the front row and applauded enthusiastically throughout the program. After the performance, she came backstage and handed the troupe flowers. She repeatedly praised the greatness of Korean culture, saying, “The Little Angels are truly angels of peace. I did not know that South Korea had such beautiful traditional culture. During the entire performance, it was as if I was dreaming a dream about my own childhood.” Mrs. Gorbachev embraced each member of the troupe and kissed them on the cheek, saying, “My Little Angels!”