James McGirk

James McGirk

Art and writing about technology, finance, geopolitical volatility, risk and beauty.

Hamburger menu icon

☰
×

Header menu

Use the `Header Menu` widget to define what content goes here

Content

North Korea’s Nerve War

Post content

The Moranbong Band is best imagined as a North Korean version of Celtic Woman: an all-female ensemble band swaddled in fetching formalwear, blasting highly produced, energetic nationalist kitsch. Of course, no matter how much vigorous fiddling Chloe, Lisa, Susan and Mairead can manage, Celtic Woman is unlikely to attract as much scrutiny from intelligence agencies as the Moranbong Band’s cover of Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now”, which is perhaps better known as the theme from Rocky, and was performed – complete with a video backdrop featuring cuts of Sylvester Stallone working out – for none other than Kim Jong-un, the number one of the sinister and secretive Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr

Post footer

Post date

May 20, 2013

Post author

by Jamie

Post categories

Posted in Essays, Interstitial.

Post tags

Tagged 3quarksdaily, Clippings, Essay, North Korea.

Post edit link

Post navigation

  • Inside the Abattoir
  • Constitutional Crisis

Sidebar

Pages

  • About Me
  • C.V.
  • Contact Me
  • Images
  • News
  • Portfolio
  • Publications
  • Science and Energy
  • Syllabi
  • Workshops

Footer

Search form

  • About Me
  • C.V.
  • Contact Me
  • Images
  • News
  • Portfolio
  • Publications
  • Science and Energy
  • Syllabi
  • Workshops
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.