Purges, Baekdu, and the Moranbong Band: Data Points around General Hyon

By | May 16, 2015

Using music as a medium, Adam Cathcart takes the field of debate regarding the alleged purge and execution of Hyon Yong-chol into the ultra-politicized realm of concert halls and power stations.

Rock Gospels: Analyzing the Artistic Style of Moranbong Band

By | March 04, 2014

Has Kim Jong-un disbanded the Moranbong Band for good? Pekka Korhonen, a visiting scholar at Kyoto University, suggests this is the wrong question to ask, and delves into a trove of revealing data.

The Korean Wave’s Northern Undertow: Cultural Hybridity and the Moranbong Band

By | June 25, 2013

Sherri L. Ter Molen examines the potential for the Moranbong Band, the North Korean all-girl musical performance group formed in 2012, to increase DPRK soft power by appealing to foreign audiences.

Packaged and Controlled by the Masculine State: Moranbong Band and Gender in New Chosun-Style Performance

By and | May 03, 2013

Darcie Draudt and Jimin Lee provide analysis of the Moranbong Band, plowing into the debate over gender, reform, and the future of North Korea.