Japanese magician invited to Kim Jong Il's funeral

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North Korea has invited Japanese woman magician Tenko Hikita to attend the planned December 28 funeral for its leader Kim Jong Il who died last weekend, her manager claimed today.

Hikita, who has performed several magic shows in North Korea, received the invitation over the phone and via e-mail from one of Kim's relatives, the manager said, adding that the magician has not yet decided whether to attend.

The invitation came despite the decision to ban foreign representatives from the funeral.

The magician was invited to North Korea in 1998 and 2000 to perform magic shows and attend Kim's private dinners, the manager said. Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial leader whose iron rule and nuclear ambitions dominated world security fears for more than a decade, died at the age of 69 due to a massive heart attack last weekend.