CULTURE AND ARTS IN NORTH KOREA
The traditional Korean culture has transformed in the DPRK in accord with
the socialism construction and got its own specifics. Every aspect of cultural
life has been directed first by Kim Il-Sung and later by his son Kim Jung-Il. In
the North Korean society the culture first of all is believed as an important tool
for political education and agitation of people.
Music is the most popular art in DPRK. Almost everybody in the country sings
songs. Any celebration or just a party between friends is unthinkable without
singing. Music is based on Korean traditions with strong influence of Chinese
and Russian music of 50s and 60s. One of the most popular musical instrument
is kayageum which similar to Chinese classical qin. It is placed horizontally in
front of a player who use two hands to play the strings.
There is no pansori style in the North, despite it is still popular in South Korea
and represents old way of story-telling. In 80s new trends in North Korean
music started to appear along with pop-style groups, specially permitted by the
ideologists. Popular disco songs were written with highly ideological context.
Some foreign musicians and even pop-groups occasionally perform in
Pyongyang but foreign pop culture can not win popularity by strict political
reasons. But North Korea created its own youth modern musical culture.
The well known super stars there are the в "ensembles of light dance
musicв". Pochonbo and Wanjesan. In the end of '80s the greatest hit in DPRK
was the song "Hwee-param" /The Whistle/ about love of a young guy, who
dreamed about the girl from the same factory he worked. She always fulfilled
individual production plans and the guy made up his mind to follow her example
so it would not be a shame to make a declaration of love. But until then he
would just whistle under the windows of her house.
Literature in DPRK is the most ideological field of culture. It has its own
classical base and dedicated to anti-Japanese struggle of Kim Il-sung. There
are several novels covering this period of history and they aimed at educating
further generations in the spirit of partisans. The well known books of that time
were "The Sea Of Blood" about a woman taking part on underground struggle
against Japanese colonial rulers, "he Guard's Fate" about a young person
which left service in the Japanese special army and joined partisans, "The
Flower Selling Girl" about a village girl of '20s and "30s, which finally became a
revolutionary. In 70-80's a collective literature work "The Never dieing Story"
was created describing the anti-Japanese struggle under command of Kim Il-
Sung.
Nowadays authors write books and poems mostly praising Kim Jung-il and
socialism, condemning capitalism and South Korean authorities.
Painting is characterized by the original style which is called chosun-hwa in
North Korea. That means literally "the Korean pictureв" and in South Korea
sounds as han-hwa because of the difference in the self-name of the country in
its two divided sides. Choson-hwa influenced by traditional Chinese painting
Guo-hwa but nowadays it is more colourful and bright. In art galleries in the
DPRK choson-hwa is widely represented by landscape painting and socialist
realism pictures of construction, revolution and war. One of the modern trends
is creating collective "monumental" paintings on giant canvas with the main
theme of the personalities of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jung-il. The biggest art
studio in the country is the Mansudae Arts Corporation in Pyongyang. Oil
painting is also very popular style in the DPRK and its technique is taught at art
colleges as well as traditional choson-hwa. Besides paining, North Korean
artists created a unique school of picturing by natural stones sand of different
colours which is applied on glue over a sketch.
Using colourful sand of various mineral stones represent a unique technique
of North Korean painting. It is called posukhwa and one of the best artists
working with this style is Choo Dae-Shik. His famous pictures are The Drum
Dance and The Park.
Sculptures of master Roh Ik-Hwa numbers by about 150 including the
bronze statue of Kim Il-Sung on Mansudae Hill in central Pyongyang. Another
sculptor Kim Doh-Eul created more than 30 stone works which are included in
the list of the National Heritage.
The traditional Korean culture has transformed in the DPRK in accord with
the socialism construction and got its own specifics. Every aspect of cultural
life has been directed first by Kim Il-Sung and later by his son Kim Jung-Il. In
the North Korean society the culture first of all is believed as an important tool
for political education and agitation of people.
Music is the most popular art in DPRK. Almost everybody in the country sings
songs. Any celebration or just a party between friends is unthinkable without
singing. Music is based on Korean traditions with strong influence of Chinese
and Russian music of 50s and 60s. One of the most popular musical instrument
is kayageum which similar to Chinese classical qin. It is placed horizontally in
front of a player who use two hands to play the strings.
There is no pansori style in the North, despite it is still popular in South Korea
and represents old way of story-telling. In 80s new trends in North Korean
music started to appear along with pop-style groups, specially permitted by the
ideologists. Popular disco songs were written with highly ideological context.
Some foreign musicians and even pop-groups occasionally perform in
Pyongyang but foreign pop culture can not win popularity by strict political
reasons. But North Korea created its own youth modern musical culture.
The well known super stars there are the в "ensembles of light dance
musicв". Pochonbo and Wanjesan. In the end of '80s the greatest hit in DPRK
was the song "Hwee-param" /The Whistle/ about love of a young guy, who
dreamed about the girl from the same factory he worked. She always fulfilled
individual production plans and the guy made up his mind to follow her example
so it would not be a shame to make a declaration of love. But until then he
would just whistle under the windows of her house.
Literature in DPRK is the most ideological field of culture. It has its own
classical base and dedicated to anti-Japanese struggle of Kim Il-sung. There
are several novels covering this period of history and they aimed at educating
further generations in the spirit of partisans. The well known books of that time
were "The Sea Of Blood" about a woman taking part on underground struggle
against Japanese colonial rulers, "he Guard's Fate" about a young person
which left service in the Japanese special army and joined partisans, "The
Flower Selling Girl" about a village girl of '20s and "30s, which finally became a
revolutionary. In 70-80's a collective literature work "The Never dieing Story"
was created describing the anti-Japanese struggle under command of Kim Il-
Sung.
Nowadays authors write books and poems mostly praising Kim Jung-il and
socialism, condemning capitalism and South Korean authorities.
Painting is characterized by the original style which is called chosun-hwa in
North Korea. That means literally "the Korean pictureв" and in South Korea
sounds as han-hwa because of the difference in the self-name of the country in
its two divided sides. Choson-hwa influenced by traditional Chinese painting
Guo-hwa but nowadays it is more colourful and bright. In art galleries in the
DPRK choson-hwa is widely represented by landscape painting and socialist
realism pictures of construction, revolution and war. One of the modern trends
is creating collective "monumental" paintings on giant canvas with the main
theme of the personalities of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jung-il. The biggest art
studio in the country is the Mansudae Arts Corporation in Pyongyang. Oil
painting is also very popular style in the DPRK and its technique is taught at art
colleges as well as traditional choson-hwa. Besides paining, North Korean
artists created a unique school of picturing by natural stones sand of different
colours which is applied on glue over a sketch.
Using colourful sand of various mineral stones represent a unique technique
of North Korean painting. It is called posukhwa and one of the best artists
working with this style is Choo Dae-Shik. His famous pictures are The Drum
Dance and The Park.
Sculptures of master Roh Ik-Hwa numbers by about 150 including the
bronze statue of Kim Il-Sung on Mansudae Hill in central Pyongyang. Another
sculptor Kim Doh-Eul created more than 30 stone works which are included in
the list of the National Heritage.
| Koryo Celadon The porcelain with transparent gray-green glaze appeared in Korea by the 9th century under influence of celadon from China. The name of this kind of ceramics itself came from France where in 17th century the play "Astrea" by novel of Honore d'Urfe was staged with a great success. The main character of the play Celadon appeared on the stage in a beautiful light-green costume. Then Chinese ceramics sold in France got the name of the herdsman. The Korean celadon is famous by its web of thin cracks on the glaze. |
North Korean Folk Songs:
Keumsusan
Aera Mansoo
Saega narateunda
I have recorded these songs in
Pyongyang in late 80's at a
people's celebration on
Moranbong Hill in Pyongyang
Pyongyang in late 80's at a
people's celebration on
Moranbong Hill in Pyongyang