Cultural Relations
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.
Reading North Korean “Reform” in Shenyang: Reportage
What does the Chinese-North Korean relationship look like from the industrial hub of Shenyang? SinoNK’s correspondent tenders conclusions.
Reviewing “The Flower Girl”: DPRK Sea of Blood Opera Troupe on Tour in China (2)
Landlords, class identity, and the wounding capabilities of wealth: Analzying a North Korean opera performance in China.
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.
See You in Rio: A Final Look at Team North Korea during the London Olympics
Ben Young went from Yanji to Pyongyang during the Olympic Games, and arrives with a final assessment.
Access to Propaganda: On The Associated Press Deal with North Korea
The Associated Press (AP), one of the world’s most respected sources for breaking news, is banking on making the deal of the century. Steven Denney analyzes the AP’s deal in Pyongyang, with Edgar Snow in China as a counterfoil.
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.
China’s “Soft Power” Goes Global: Li Keqiang, S.B. Cohen, and North Korea
China’s “Soft Power” Goes Global: Li Keqiang, S.B. Cohen, and North Korea by Adam Cathcart Much attention has been paid, and rightly so, to the “Korea wave” (韩流) and its impacts on North Korean culture. But what about China’s efforts at “soft power” expansion? How, if at all, are these perceived in the DPRK? And […]
