Art and Performance
Empty Beat: On the Relative Worth of North Korean Revolutionary Music Ensembles
The Moranbong Band’s meteoric ascent in North Korea has eclipsed ensembles associated with Kim Jong-il and cultural diplomacy with China. Analysis by Adam Cathcart.
Songun Mini-Skirt: Ri Sol-ju, the Moranbong Band, and North Korean Fashion Norms
Considering the Moranbong Band performance as a kind of promise to the women of Pyongyang: material prosperity is around the corner in the form of jewelry, short skirts, and high-heels.
Reviewing “The Flower Girl”: DPRK Sea of Blood Opera Troupe on Tour in China
Wither Kim Jong-il’s cultural influence in North Korea? Adam Cathcart reviews a performance of North Korean opera in Sichuan.
Red August: New Posters from DPRK, via Uriminzokkiri
New North Korean posters emerged on August 1, 2012. SinoNK takes a look at two examples.
Let Them Eat Concerts, II: Musical Diplomacy, the Ri Sol-ju Rollout, and Kim Ki-Nam
Analysis of the Moranbong Band as an instrument of DPRK cultural diplomacy, interaction with “First Lady” Ri Sol-ju, and the geriatrics of the Politburo.