Seo Jeong Min from Korea's Hangyorae News spoke with GUNS N' ROSES mainman Axl Rose via email. The article has been translated by RaspAxl on the message board of fan-site Heretodaygonetohell.com. It reads as follows:

On the 13th, heavy metal band Guns and Roses, which enjoyed explosive fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s, will perform their first live concert in Korea at Seoul’s Olympic Park. The band took a break from formal activities after the release of their third album, Use Your Illusion, in ’91, but in November last year they came back after 17 years with a new album titled, Chinese Democracy. The only former member however is Axl Rose, with the other members Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, etc., busy working with another band, VELVET REVOLVER. We interviewed Guns and Roses’s lead vocalist Axl Rose through email.

Hangyorae News: After the band formed almost 24 years ago, how does it feel coming to Korea for the first time? There must be a lot of fans who would want to hear your old songs.

Rose: "With the concert coming up, we’ve received a lot of comments on Myspace and our homepage from Korean fans. There are also requests for us to make sure we play specific songs. Actually, we plan to sing a few songs that weren’t included in the original list for the performance at the beginning of the tour. Korea is a country we always wanted to visit, and now we’re here. We can’t wait to meet the fans."

Hangyorae News: On the new album, Chinese Democracy, you criticised China’s iron-like rule and the oppression of the Falun Gong. China greatly opposed the album and it was banned from sale, so it makes sense that they would be excluded from your Asian tour. Did you predict this kind of opposition from China? If you had, then is there a reason why you nevertheless spoke out about China’s democracy?

Rose: "This album wasn’t about just criticising a huge country like China; it was about criticising certain undemocratic actions done by the government. Various democratic movements are underway in China. These movements are starting to receive attention and results are being produced because of our songs. Of course we had predicted we would be excluded from China. We also predicted that not everyone could possibly hear our songs. (laughs) It’s a pity that we can’t be successful in China because we wanted to visit during our Asian tour."

Hangyorae News: Do you like the new members of the band?

Rose: "The members with us on this tour are absolutely the best. Especially the guitarist, DJ Ashba, who’s come with lots of experience since he was in the opening act for KISS and Ozzy Osborne’s festival, the Marilyn Manson tour, etc. During the tour he switches between about 10 different guitars while performing."

Hangyorae News: There are a lot of fans who hope to see you reunited with the old members. Have you ever wanted to perform with Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Izzy Stradlin again?

Rose: "Reuniting with the original members isn’t an easy thing. The old members are all devoted to their own music, and I wholeheartedly support them in their endeavours. The important thing I’d say is to support the current members and the best environment so that we can keep making music. The only thing right now is Guns and Roses."