Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported on December 29 that Kim Jong Un watched a joint performance of the Moranbong Band and State Merited Chorus with the participants of the first Conference of the Chairpersons of Workers’ Party Primary Committees. KCTV reported that the Moranbong Band and State Merited Chorus held a joint performance on December 28 for the celebration.
KCTV referred to the performers of the Moranbong Band and State Merited Chorus as “the first trumpeters promoting Party ideology” and stated that their performance unveiled a new dimension of music by blending various musical genres including North Korean light music, orchestral music, various vocal styles, and choir music, receiving great admiration from the audience.
According to KCTV, Kim Jong Un congratulated the performers and urged them to fulfill their mission and duty to “strengthen the Party and promote its policies at the forefront.”
Kim Jong Un last viewed a performance by the Moranbong Band on October 19 last year when a joint performance was held with the Chongbong Band and the State Merited Chorus in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Workers’ Party. The Moranbong band, a female North Korean pop group created in 2012, has not appeared in public for more than seven months since it held a joint performance with the Chongbong Band for the celebration of the 7th Congress of the Workers’ Party in May.
A high-ranking North Korean defector who spoke with Daily NK on condition of anonymity stated, “The Moranbong Band was created under Kim Jong Un’s direct orders, so it is natural for the band to attend such an important political event. It seems that the regime hopes to strengthen internal support through ‘band politics’ using the Moranbong Band.”
