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Behind the obscurity of North Korea, one hidden aspect is their flourishment in the arts. Despite what most Westerners are often told, North Korea isn't all nuclear bombs and Kim Jong Un. Artistic occupations are not too scarce to find, and creativity is welcomed. That is, as long as it fits North Korea’s political agenda. Historically, there have been many societies that have used the works of art to propagate messages of superiority, and North Korea does not fall short of that.
Traditional music, drama, literature, and dance are endorsed yet controlled by the government. Future artists are indoctrinated to political ideologies and taught to promote class consciousness, an idea closely associated with Communism. Through the use of art, messages frowning upon capitalism are heavily conveyed.
Another reason the regime endorses art is that authoritarian countries desire a strong sense of nationalism from its people. North Korea aims to do so by showing off its many museums, landmarks, events, and posters hailing the Kims as their supreme leaders. Statues of North Korean dictators are also intended to propagate feelings of national individualism and superiority.
Artists that create ‘unacceptable’ pieces (that do not align with the country's political ideologies derived from Marxist teachings) are punished with extreme measures. There are many accounts of people arrested and put into prison camps for presenting Westernized content. These include, but are not limited to, movies, books, posters, and music.
Unfortunately, in the outside world, art is often taken for granted. Many from the outside do not realize that they have the freedom to free though and self-expression, while North Koreans are devoid of that liberty.
Aaron B.
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