NORTH KOREAN HIP HOP? REFLECTIONS ON MUSICAL DIPLOMACY AND THE DPRK

Adam Cathcart examines the 2008 visit of the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang, questioning the efficacy of classical music diplomacy in a state that has long utilized the symphony orchestra as a pillar of its own ideological machinery. Unlike Western democratic contexts, where orchestras are often independent institutions, the North Korean regime has historically treated the symphony as a vehicle for state-centered art. By drawing on the writings of Kim Jong Il, the paper illustrates how the DPRK views orchestral music as a means to synchronize the masses and reinforce the cult of personality, mirroring the ways totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union and China historically co-opted symphonic forms.

When the New York Philharmonic performed in Pyongyang, it was hailed by some as a diplomatic breakthrough. However, Cathcart suggests that this optimism overlooked the specific social function of music in North Korea. Because the regime has already mastered the use of orchestral-choral oratorios and operas to propagate state myths, the arrival of an American orchestra did not necessarily introduce a 'democratic' cultural space. Instead, the performance was easily absorbed into the existing framework of state-sanctioned artistic expression. The conductor’s attempt to bridge the gap with Gershwin’s 'An American in Paris' is presented as a well-intentioned but historically naive gesture that failed to account for the deep-seated, state-sponsored anti-Americanism embedded in North Korean cultural life.

Ultimately, the paper posits that if the goal of musical diplomacy is to foster genuine cultural exchange or influence, classical music may be the wrong medium. The rigid, hierarchical nature of the symphony orchestra aligns too closely with the structures of the North Korean state. Cathcart suggests that popular music—specifically rap—might offer a more potent alternative. Unlike the symphony, which requires state-level coordination and institutional approval, popular music is more easily disseminated, harder to control, and carries a subversive energy that could prove more effective in penetrating the DPRK's closed cultural environment.