Sea of Blood
"Sea of Blood" premiered on 17 July 1971 at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre in the attendance of Kim Il-sung. The opera is known for being North Korea's longest-running production, having been staged over 1,500 times, and is presented three to four times a week at Pyongyang's main theater. It is also sometimes performed abroad. The North Korean Opera Troupe, which was established in 1946, was renamed "Sea of Blood Opera Troupe" shortly after the opera's release in 1971. Through being involved in the making of the opera, Kim Jong-il could systematize his thought on the art form. Many of the features of the opera are included in his treatise "On the Art of Opera" (1974), which lauds "Sea of Blood" as a model opera.