A North Korean art troupe on Thursday night performed a song partly tweaked to assert a claim over a pair of islets at the center of a territorial spat between Japan and South Korea.

The 140 member-strong Samjiyon Orchestra sang a song with alternate lyrics asserting that the islets called Dokdo in Korean are also North Korea's fatherland. Japan claims the South Korean-held islets as Takeshima.

The incident occurred after North and South Korea discussed until the last minute whether some songs should be avoided because of their possible political implications.

It is believed to be North Korea's ploy to capitalize on the territorial dispute between the South and Japan to urge solidarity between the two Koreas.

The art troupe led by Hyon Song Wol, head of the all-female Moranbong Band, is also scheduled to stage a performance in Seoul on Sunday.