What role did music and dance play in North Korean model works?

In North Korea, music and dance are central to "model" works, which serve as grandiose spectacles designed to promote socialist construction and nationalistic pride. These performances are strictly aligned with the state ideology of juche (self-reliance) as established by Kim Il-sung.1

Rather than serving as independent artistic expressions, these works function as vehicles for government propaganda. By integrating music and dance into massive, highly choreographed productions—such as the Song of Glory, which featured a cast of 5,000—the state utilizes these performances to symbolize the masses' support for the political system and to enhance class consciousness. All artists, including musicians and dancers, are assigned to government-controlled institutions, ensuring that their work consistently propagates the superiority and independence of North Korean culture while offering the public state-sanctioned entertainment.231