The National Folk Art Center and the North Korean National Music

This article aims to enhance understanding of the National Folk Art Center (hereafter, the Center) through dividing its 75-year history and activities into three periods, and to review the trend of changes in North Korean national music, From 1947 to 1965, the Center had been reorganized as the Joseon Classical Music Research Institute, the Classical Orchestra directly under the Ministry of Culture and Propaganda, the Hyeopryuldan within the National Arts Theater, the Classical Orchestra under the direct control of the National Arts Theater, the National Classical Arts Theater, and then National Folk Arts Theater. During this period, traditional music capabilities such as changgeuk (Korean opera derived from pansori) and instrumental performances of Korean traditional musician who crossed the border to North Korea had a great impact on the North Korean music scene. From 1965 to 1992, the Center had been renamed as the National Folk Opera Theater, the Pyongyang Art Organization, the Moranbong Art Organization, and then the Pyongyang Art Organization; the content of activities had changed. At this time, the pibada ('Sea of Blood') style of national opera was established, and the comprehensive music and dance performances were vitalized while many folk dance and national dance works were created. Since 1992, when the Center worked as a National Folk Art Center, it has created and performed works such as national operas, folk dance suites, and national songs and dances. Since the 2000s, the Center focused on creating large-scale art performances together collaborating with various music organizations, rather than solo performances. After the Kim Jong Un era, the Center has been pursuing activities as an independent organization. Through the activities from the Joseon Classical Music Research Institute to the National Folk Art Center, we can get a glimpse of the way in which the modern transformations of national music were realized in North Korea, and confirm that the activities of those who crossed the border to North Korea were at the base. The activities and roles they played in North Korea serve as a point of contact for South and North Korea to confirm their traditional musical culture and national identity.