Unhasu Orchestra
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Defunct | 2013-08-12 |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang , North Korea |
| Products | Musical performances |
The Unhasu (Milky Way) Orchestra () was a musical ensemble based in Pyongyang, North Korea, known for predominantly utilizing Western instruments while occasionally incorporating traditional Korean solo performers. Their performances took place at the dedicated Unhasu Theater located in Pyongyang. Among its notable members was Ri Sol-ju, who later became the spouse of Kim Jong-un. Former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho reported that the orchestra was officially disbanded on August 12, 2013.
Performances
On March 14, 2012, South Korean conductor Myung-whun Chung directed a joint concert featuring both the Unhasu Orchestra and the Radio France Philharmonic at Paris's Salle Pleyel, where they performed the pan-Korean folk melody "Arirang."
Rumored executions and alleged disbandment
On August 29, 2013, The Chosun Ilbo published claims that several prominent members of the Moranbong Band and Unhasu Orchestra were eyewitnesses to the execution by firing squad of multiple Unhasu musicians, including violinist Mun Kyong-jin, purportedly ordered by Kim Jong-un. The article further suggested that following these events, the orchestra was dissolved. Music critic Norman Lebrecht identified those executed as concertmasters Moon, Gyeong-Jin, and Jung, Sun-Young. Nevertheless, experts such as Chad O'Carroll of NK News and John Delury from Yonsei University expressed doubts regarding these reports, highlighting a pattern of sensationalism in North Korea-related news. Significantly, singer Hyon Song-wol, rumored to have been executed, subsequently appeared alive on North Korean television.
Alejandro Cao de Benós refuted these rumors by indicating that the orchestra was scheduled to perform on September 9, 2013. Despite this assertion, the Unhasu Orchestra did not participate in that year's Day of the Foundation of the Republic festivities; instead, the Korean People's Internal Security Forces Song and Dance Ensemble took their place, intensifying speculation about the orchestra’s fate.
In October 2013, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Nam Jae-joon acknowledged knowledge of approximately ten Unhasu Orchestra members having been executed due to involvement in a scandal. Contrarily, an orchestral performance was aired on North Korean radio during the same month.
The rumors reemerged in 2015 when South Korean legislator Shin Kyung-min referenced NIS intelligence indicating that four senior orchestra members were executed in March 2015 on charges of espionage for South Korea. Among those reportedly executed was a director general described as a "Russian-trained composer and producer" affiliated with Japan’s pro-North Korean community (Chongryon). These executions were said to have been carried out publicly by machine-gun fire in Pyongyang before hundreds from the artistic sector, with families reportedly spared from punishment—an atypical demonstration of severity within North Korean practices.
Former members
- Mun Kyong-jin – concertmaster
- Ri Sol-ju – vocalist and spouse of Kim Jong-Un
See also
- Media coverage of North Korea
- List of North Korean musicians
- List of South Korean musicians
- Music of North Korea
- Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
- Wangjaesan Light Music Band