December 13, 1991

Leaders of North and South Korea signed a treaty of reconciliation and nonaggression this morning, renouncing armed force against each other and saying that they would formally bring the Korean War to an end 38 years after the fighting ceased. The agreement would also re-establish some measure of regular communication between the two countries, including telephone lines, mail, some economic exchanges and the reunion of some families who have been separated since war broke out in 1950. It would also commit the countries to rebuilding railway and road links across the heavily guarded border, known as the Demilitarized Zone, which has been the symbol of the armed division of the country for almost four decades.

THE music of Christmas makes only one demand on listeners: that they turn their attention either to the Christmas story itself or to the universal ideals of hope, peace and open-heartedness that the story is meant to convey. Yet if the focus of the music is singular, the wealth of the literature composed over the centuries to celebrate the season is remarkably varied. New York City's musical organizations, which include the music departments at churches this time of year, take two distinct approaches to their holiday programming. One is to stay close to tradition, with carols and candelight services, for example, or with performances of Handel's "Messiah" and Bach's "Christmas Oratorio." The other is to find music slightly off the beaten path and show how flexible the tradition's evolution has been.

The long political rivalry between Boris N. Yeltsin, the Russian President, and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet President, appeared to have been decisively altered in Mr. Yeltsin's favor by the failed coup attempt against Mr. Gorbachev in August. But the Soviet leader counterattacked strongly, hoping to repair the damage to the concept of union, on which he had staked his political existence.

IT was an evening of encroaching fog, but still the ticket lines formed. In moments of unornamented reality, patrons were fencing over their choices. About 20 people deep, a teen-age girl with gluey eyes, kicking one shoe against the toe of the other, said, "Listen, what's wrong with seeing 'Curly Sue'? So what if it's about a kid." Her stony-faced boyfriend, busily scratching his forehead, responded curtly, "Look, I came here to see 'Hitman.' I am not leaving here until I see 'Hitman.' I would rather see 'Snow White' than 'Curly Sue.' "

TETHERED to a throne all day, smiling at toddlers even when they're greedy or wailing, convincing skeptical pre-teen-agers that yes, you do exist -- the life of a department-store Santa Claus can be exasperating. Only a gifted few can pull off the act with flair, fulfilling youthful expectations of a reassuring hug, a booming but always kindly voice, a patient inquiry into the year's transgressions and a flawless knowledge of the reindeer's names.