The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the role and characteristics of the foreign cultural exchange of North Korea during the period of time of Kim Il- Sung. The time period of Kim Il-Sung that is stated in this dissertation is from 1945 of th...
The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the role and characteristics of the foreign cultural exchange of North Korea during the period of time of Kim Il- Sung. The time period of Kim Il-Sung that is stated in this dissertation is from 1945 of the independence of Korea to 1994. The period of Kim Il-Sung is a phase, in which North Korea formed its national identity as well as established its political structure. In North Korea, Kim Il-Sung was an absolute being. Internally, he continued to strengthen his stature, and externally, he put a variety of efforts to let others recognize the presence of North Korea as a country. The cultural exchange along with the exchange of politics and the military was a significant method to display the presence of North Korea.
In the beginning of the establishment of the government, North Korea tried to build the cultural infrastructure through the exchanges with the Soviet Union. North Korea strove to embrace the advanced culture of the Soviet Union, and also firmly establish the North Korean governing system at the same time. After the Korean War, North Korea expanded its scope of cultural exchanges to the Third World countries like China. The reason why North Korea expanded its cultural exchanges to various regions was mainly because of the political conflict with the Soviet Union. Afterwards, North Korea carried forward the cultural exchange on its own diplomatic path. The nations of the exchange also extended from the Soviet Union, China, and Socialism states of the East Europe to non-allied nations such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Current studies about the foreign cultural exchanges of North Korea are classified into two types. First, there are researches that analyze the present condition of the cultural exchange of North and South Korea, and ways to vitalize it. Second, there is also a type of study that analyzes the culture exchanges with certain countries such as the Soviet Union, China, and Vietnam. These types of currently existing studies have been valuable in comprehending North Korea's present condition and characteristics of the cultural exchange, as well as its cultural factors. However, the studies also have been confined to the certain time period or events. Thus, there had been a need for studies that cover broad and diverse contents of exchanges. Therefore, this dissertation covers more broad analysis, which expands the study to the time period of Kim Il-Sung, and specifies the research contents to cultural exchange, international events, and cultural agreements.
In order to study about the foreign cultural exchange of North Korea, it is needed to consider the cultural exchange characteristics of a socialism country, but also to regard the distinct characteristics of North Korea. The foreign cultural exchange of the socialism countries has certain characteristics as to ‘relations between culture and politics’, ‘the establishment of cultural infrastructure of a newly independent socialism nation’, ‘cultural exchange in a way of international revolution’, and ‘activities for amity and solidarity’. Along with the aforementioned characteristics, the North Korean cultural exchange characteristics are appeared as ‘Dissemination of Kim Il-Sung’s Juche ideology’, ‘stature security of the non-allied Third World nations’, ‘creation and dissemination of idolized culture’, and ‘guidance of Kim Jong-Il’.
This dissertation categorizes the period of Kim Il-Sung into five stages. The traits of those stages are as follows. The culture exchanges of the quickening period(from the independence to 1960) were carried forward on the basis of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union provided North Korea with supports for politics, economic, and the culture. During this time period, North Korea tried to progress the cultural exchanges with the Soviet Union in broad areas such as translation publishing, external performances, movies, physical training, and the contract of cultural agreements. After the Korean War, North Korea carried forward its cultural exchanges with other friendly socialism nations such as China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Rumania. However, these relations fell short compared to the interaction with the Soviet Union as appeared in certain events like the foundation of Chosun-Soviet Union Cultural Association(Pyongyang, 1945) and establishment of the Soviet Union Culture Center(pyongyang, 1948).
The cultural exchanges of the period of diversification(1961~1966) were extended to non-allied nations such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. North Korea needed its own diplomatic path because of the consolidated relationship with the Third World countries, as well as the culmination of the conflict with the Soviet Union and China. In this time period, the foreign cultural exchanges were utilized as an important method to enhance the relationship with the Third World nations. Out of all forms of foreign cultural exchanges, especially the external performances and culture agreements were actively applied in the foreign policy. North Korea endeavored to expand its foreign relationships in the way of exchanging cultures with Cuba, Guinea, Mali, Cambodia, Algeria, Ghana, and Tanzania.
The cultural exchange of the period of Juche progress(1967~1979) was mainly composed of North Korean style arts; Juche arts. From 1967, teachings of Kim Il- Sung started appearing in the field of culture and arts. North Korea concentrated on provincial performances which reflected the revolutionary national opera and songs, and also magical practices. It also intensively spreaded documentary films that contained Juche ideology. During this time, Kim Jong-Il emphasized Juche arts coaching the stage arts as well as theories of culture and arts.
The cultural exchanges of North Korea's heyday(1980~1989) were expanded in the events, subjects and the period of time. Art groups and group gymnastics played an important role in the foreign performances. The nations that North Korea performed its foreign shows for more than one month in a row were extended from the Soviet Union and China to Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and France. North Korea built a culture center in Mali in May 1983 and a political school in Togo in January 1984. North Korea also hosted <Spring of April Friendship Art Festival>, <Pyongyang Film Festival>, and <The 13th World Youth Students Festival>. North Korea received external attention as a host country through socialism culture festivals. Those festivals were proceeded under the name of building international relations and maintaining solidarity. However, the contents were all about praising Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.
The cultural exchanges of the period of stagnation(1990~1994) were greatly reduced in regard to the collapse of socialism nations. Instead of enlarging the extension, North Korea tried to maintain the existing relationships. The <Pyongyang Film Festival> and <Spring of April Friendship Art Festival> which were periodically hosted in North Korea were also cut down. North Korea's endeavor to dispel the negative external cognition could be shown in the <4th Pyongyang Film Festival> which was run according to the schedule in September 1994, just two months after the death of Kim Il-Sung.
The characteristics of North Korea's foreign cultural exchanges are as follows. First, it had a role of cultural bridgehead for international solidarity. Second, North Korea utilized it as a propaganda source for internal solidarity. Third, it was also a way to spread Juche ideology. In the beginning, North Korea focused on establishing socialism cultural infrastructure, and afterwards, tried to apply it as a method to make an idol of Kim Il-Sung, which ended up resulting in strengthened connection between culture and politics.
After the independence, North Korea's foreign cultural exchanges were carried in the way of directly accepting the culture of the Soviet Union. This type of culture embracing did not last long. As of 1961, the countries of exchange were extended to non-allied nations, and from 1967 when Juche arts turned up, the culture exchange took a new turn on the basis of Juche arts. After Kim Il-Sung's sole leadership structure was established, Kim Jong-Il took it over and pushed forward it. The broad and diverse culture exchanging events in the beginning were eventually unified to the idolization of Kim Il-Sung. As a result, the uniformity of 'Juche arts' was reflected in the foreign cultural exchange.