Moranbong Band

The need for a modern pop band in North Korea has been attributed, by Korhonen (2014) and Cathcart et al. (2014), to the government's necessity to please important social strata: Pyongyang elites, military and technical professionals, and in particular, young people. Sherri L. Ter Molen goes on to say that the band's debut roughly coinciding with the release of Korean Wave star Psy's "Gangnam Style" was not incidental. According to KCNA, "Kim Jong Un organized the Moranbong band as required by the new century, prompted by a grandiose plan to bring about a dramatic turn in the field of literature and arts this year in which a new century of Juche Korea begins". The band was set up to perform regular televised concerts as entertainment. == Concerts ==

The band debuted on 6 July 2012. Their first performance featured Western popular culture imagery and music, including Disney characters Mickey Winnie the Pooh, the "Theme from Rocky" and Frank Sinatra's "My Way". Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, made her first public appearance in the audience. According to Cathcart (2014), these two novel policies — openly celebrating Western popular culture and publicly acknowledging the leader's spouse, along with considerable coverage of the event in the West  — is thought to have served Kim's agenda. The event allowed Kim to flaunt openness while not making any substantial promises about changes in policy. Since its debut, the band's Western-inspired look has been toned down considerably. and the crowd stands and cheers during the launch and subsequent destruction of the U.S. In the first of the two joint concerts, the State Merited Orchestra and Chorus dominated. However, by the second concert the Moranbong Band was again the more prominent one. The July 7, 2012 audience was composed of Choe Ryong-hae, Jang Song-thaek, Kim Ki-nam, Hyon Chol-hae, Kim Yang-gon, Kim Yong-il, Kim Phyong-hae, Choe Pu-il, Kim Myong-guk, Kim Yong-chol, Jo Kyong-chol and "officials, creators, artists, writers and journalists of literary and art, media and art educational institutions". the Moranbong Band performed for the first time in nine months. The concert marked the last public appearance of Minister of People's Armed Forces Hyon Yong-chol before his apparent purge later that month. Band leader Sonu Hyang-hui was also absent from the band's ranks despite the performance featuring highly technical instrumental pieces. The songs performed were noticeably non-political and influenced by Western popular music leading Adam Catchart to conclude that the performance was "uncomfortably approximate to the nightclub experience". However, the band also sported a new song directly in praise of Kim Jong Un: "We Will Go to Mount Paektu" (). However, on September 7, the band performed in front of a state delegation from Cuba together with the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang, including the popular North Korean song "Pyongyang Is Best" and "Guantanamera" for their Cuban audience, quashing these rumours. In December 2015, Kim Jong Un sent the band to perform in a series of shows in Beijing to improve relations between China and North Korea; these would have been the band's first performances outside of North Korea. However, the band left Beijing on a scheduled flight to Pyongyang only a few hours before their performance was scheduled. China's Xinhua news agency stated that all of the band's performances had been cancelled due to "communication issues at the working level". The Korea Herald reported that North Korea had cancelled the tour because China had requested that North Korea's missiles should not be shown during performances. On July 27, 2023, for the first time in 3 years, multiple singers from the Moranbong Band made an appearance during the 'Grand Performance to Celebrate 70th Anniversary of Great War Victory' concert. == Performances ==

The Moranbong Band has brought forth many propaganda songs in praise of Kim Jong Un, many of which feature Songun, or military-first, themed lyrics, and music videos. In one video they show a nuclear missile being launched and exploding over and destroying the United States. Another song promotes attacking South Korea. The DPRK's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, printed full notation of such songs on its first page as a signal for service people of the Korean People's Army to memorize the tunes and lyrics. The drastic changes of key in the musical composition of the songs has been interpreted to carry a message "that rapid change is coming, and things may end very differently than where they began". == Membership ==

The Moranbong Band consists of only women. Members • Sonu Hyang-hui (선우향희) – Violin and Band Leader • Hong Su Kyong (홍수경) – Violin • Cha Yong Mi (차영미) – Violin • Kim Un-Ha – Violin • Yu Un Jong (유은정) – Cello • Ri Hui Kyong (리희경) – Synthesizer • Kim Hyang Sun (김향선) – Synthesizer • Kim Yong-Mi – Piano & Synthesizer • Choe Jong Im (최정임) – Saxophone, Clarinet & Percussion • Sonu Jang-Hyok – Saxophone • Kim Jong Mi (김정미) – Piano • Ri Yun-Hui – Drums • Han Sun Jong (한순정) – Drums • Kang Ryong Hui (강령희) – Guitarist • Jo Kyong-Hui – Guitarist • Ri Sol-Lan – Bass • Jon Hye Ryon (전혜련) – Bass • Merited Artist Kim Yu Kyong (김유경)- Vocals • Merited Artist Kim Sol Mi (김설미) – Vocals • Merited Artist Ryu Jin A (류진아) – Vocals • Pak Mi Kyong (박미경) – Vocals • Jong Su Hyang (정수향) – Vocals • Pak Son Hyang (박선향) – Vocals • Merited Artist Ra Yu Mi (라유미) – Vocals • Ri Su Kyong (리수경) – Vocals • Ri Myong Hui (리명희) – Vocals • Merited Artist Ri Ok-Hwa – Vocals • Jo Guk-Hyang – Vocals • Kim Hyo-Sim – Vocals • Yu Pong-Mi – Vocals • Kim Chong-Ye – Vocals • People's Actress Kim Ok-Ju – Vocals In 2017 Hyon Song-wol (), the leader of the band, was appointed to the Central Committee of the Workers' Party. In 2018, she led a four-person team which visited South Korea to discuss arrangements for the Winter Olympics. Veteran Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble composer and Merited Artist Hwang Jin Yong () also served as vice-director for the band until his death on 24 January 2025. == Reception ==

The band is immensely popular in North Korea, and visitors to the country have reported people dancing to Moranbong Band's songs in the streets and shops closing during television performances. Another reviewer said, "We must take care, however, not to see these talented performers dressed in flashy costume as new archetypes for the New Modern Woman in the DPRK. According to Nicola Dibben's theorizing of the female representation in popular music, "It would be hopelessly naïve to declare that such tactics are exclusively empowering in their influence." Rather, the gender division of the performance as a whole—from the stage through the audience space—should be examined for context." Another commentator said, "If a candidate exists that might represent the edge of a possible NK-pop invasion, it is surely the Moranbong Band, which debuted at a concert for Kim Jong Un in July 2012—not incidentally, the same month in which Psy's "Gangnam Style" was released." == See also ==