[2] The Mansudae Art Troupe has performed over 700 times in over 50 countries to "promote the friendship with the progressive peoples of the world.
"[This quote needs a citation] It played a key role in producing the revolutionary opera The Flower Girl (1972) a tragic story about North Korea under Japanese occupation during the 1930s and said to have been written by Kim Il Sung.
The Troupe is said to have performed Flower Girl 1,300 times and Hong Yong-hee an actress from the film of the opera, is on the North Korean one-Won bank note.
The troupe has also created 1,500 songs and over 500 instrumental pieces and was awarded the Order of Kim Il Sung in 1972.
[6] The Samjiyon Band was started in 2009 as part of the Mansudae Art Troupe by order of Kim Jong Il.