Liberty and Music

North Korea is perhaps the last living example of pure totalitarianism – state control over every aspect of human life. Is such a place the right venue for Western musical performers?

NEW YORK – North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is one of the world’s most oppressive, closed, and vicious dictatorships. It is perhaps the last living example of pure totalitarianism – control of the state over every aspect of human life. Is such a place the right venue for a Western orchestra? Can one imagine the New York Philharmonic, which performed to great acclaim in Pyongyang, entertaining Stalin or Hitler?

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