The Moranbong Band
The Moranbong band was formed in 2012 on the personal instruction of Mr Kim.
The musicians play electric keyboards, guitars and violins dressed in spangled, low-cut outfits and quasi-military uniforms.
At an earlier concert they appeared in the guise of Disney characters including Mickey, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and sang a version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. Other hits are known to include Mother’s Birthday, a celebration of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and We Call Him Father, a eulogy to Mr Kim.
Principally, the band is a propaganda tool for the secretive regime.
Believe it or not, the Moranbong Band is the subject of tense negotiations that could determine whether North Korea takes part in next month’s Winter Olympics.
Delegations from North and South are continuing talks about the participation of the Moranbong girls as performers at next month’s games, to be held in the Pyeongchang region of South Korea. Seoul seemed to have agreed in principle to their presence at the Games; at issue is how far they will be able to fulfil their function, as full-blooded propagandists for the Kim regime.
Believe it or not, the Moranbong Band is the subject of tense negotiations that could determine whether North Korea takes part in next month’s Winter Olympics.
Delegations from North and South are continuing talks about the participation of the Moranbong girls as performers at next month’s games, to be held in the Pyeongchang region of South Korea. Seoul seemed to have agreed in principle to their presence at the Games; at issue is how far they will be able to fulfil their function, as full-blooded propagandists for the Kim regime.
Seoul finds itself in a dilemma. Under South Korean law it is illegal to “praise” the northern regime — ruling out virtually all of the Moranbong Band’s repertoire. Censoring the band risks jeopardising North Korean attendance at the Games, potentially the biggest breakthrough in diplomacy on the peninsula for several years.
It would be interesting to see how the situation is resolved.
