A mobile propaganda troupe in Chongpyong county, South Hamgyong province, has been virtually inactive after its accordion player took sick leave in January, leading managing officials to face harsh criticism from the local party organization.
As North Korea ramps up an atmosphere of resolve in the propaganda sector in the new year, including the launch of new loudspeaker vehicles and exhibits of propaganda equipment, problems in the operation of the county-run troupe resulted in the managing officials getting grilled by the local party organization.
Requesting anonymity for security reasons, a source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently that Chongpyong county’s mobile artistic agitation troupe “has been virtually inactive because the accordion player, who has played a key role in the troupe, has been on sick leave.” Because of this, the head of the troupe and the head of the relevant Socialist Patriotic Youth League committee “were summoned by the county party committee and criticized on Jan. 23.”
According to the source, the mobile artistic agitation troupe comprises about 15 singers and instrumentalists who engage in traveling propaganda activities. The accordion player is considered an indispensable member in both indoor and outdoor propaganda activities.
For outdoor performances, the accordion can be replaced to some extent by wind instruments and percussion, but because indoor performances focus on the accordion accompaniment, proper performances are rendered practically impossible without the accordion player.
“You absolutely need the accordion accompaniment for performances, which last about 30 to 40 minutes,” the source said. “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the activities depend on one person, the accordion player.”
Prolonged sick leave worsens shortage
The accordion player of Chongpyong county’s troupe applied for sick leave after submitting a hospital diagnosis of poor health. The accordionist is reportedly on prolonged sick leave after pushing themselves to perform earlier this year despite feeling unwell, worsening their condition.
The troupe was reduced to performing without an accordion, but when the county party committee’s secretary of propaganda learned of this, they summoned the troupe’s leader and the head of the SPYL committee in question and harshly rebuked them for their shoddy management, criticizing them for “failing to craft measures to deal with the accordionist’s absence.”
Since the tongue-lashing, the troupe leader has asked around for a replacement accordionist but has not been able to find one.
“It’s not easy to find an accordionist who can accompany singers, and even if you found one, they wouldn’t want to play in agitation performances in this freezing weather,” the source said. “Even fewer people volunteer because they’ll get criticized if they perform poorly.”
Meanwhile, members of the troupe have reacted skeptically to reports of launch ceremonies for new loudspeaker vehicles and exhibits of propaganda equipment, believing them to be mere perfunctory events “just for show.”
The troupe’s official instrument inventory comprises just an accordion and a few wind instruments, but the equipment on display at the exhibits, including speakers, often consists of privately owned items temporarily on display.
In fact, the accordion used in the troupe’s performances is the accordionist’s private instrument because the one officially given to the troupe broke.
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