ⓒ YONHAP News

In North Korea, those who are generally referred to as artists, like performers in music, cinema, theatre and dance, are called actors or actresses. These days, Kim Ok-ju is cited as the most popular singer or “vocal actress” in the country. 

Kim became the talk of the town when she sang a South Korean song, “To J,” with South Korean singer Lee Sun-hee at the inter-Korean joint concert in 2018. 

Kim enjoyed so much popularity that she sang more than half of the songs during the Band of the State Affairs Commission’s performance in June last year, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance. 

Kim sang the song “Our Mother” with another singer Cha Yoon-mi, a member of the band. 

Kim’s solo piece “Following the Affection” was produced as a music video and the country’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper even included the sheet music of the song in its edition. Thanks to her immense popularity, the singer was awarded the title “People’s Actress” in July last year. She was the first person to be given the highest honor for artists in six years. 

Kim Ok-ju is one of the most famous celebrities in North Korea. It is very rare for a 30-something artist like Kim to receive the title of “People’s Actress.” She took a photo with leader Kim Jong-un, arm in arm. Popular and successful figures in North Korea are exposed to the media quite often and they take pictures with the leader. Lately, Kim has done both more often than anyone else.  

North Korea began to award the title of “merited” to those who contributed to developing national art during the Korean War. The title has been given to many others in various areas such as science, media, publication and sports. 

Actors or actresses who were granted both titles of “Merited” and “People’s” include traditional musician Chung Nam-hee, theater actor Hwang Chol, legendary dancer Choi Seung-hee, movie actress Mun Ye-bong who starred in two movies with the same title The Tale of Chunhyang, each produced by South and North Korea, and actress Hong Yong-hui who played the lead role in a film The Flower Girl. Hong’s image was even featured on North Korean one-won banknotes. 

Singer Jeon Hye-young is also included in the list. One of her popular songs called “Whistle” is also familiar to South Koreans. 

In the North, there are four honorary titles—“Merited Artist,” “Merited Actor or Actress,” “People’s Artist” and “People’s Actor or Actress.” “People’s” is the highest title. Those who earned this title receive ministerial-level treatment. Those with the second highest title of “Merited” are entitled to vice ministerial-level treatment. North Korea awards the titles with the purpose of showing the people that each area continues to develop and giving due recognition to those who work hard in their respective areas. 

North Korean artists are pretty popular because they receive good treatment. In South Korea, some celebrities say they had passed the auditions of entertainment companies or went through rigorous training before becoming successful entertainers. Some stars are discovered randomly on the street. How about celebrities in North Korea? 

Those who hope to become an artist in the North must attend a relevant school. For early-childhood art education, upper-class parents are said to be fiercely competing to send their children to kindergartens specializing in art training, such as the Kyongsang Kindergarten and the Changgwang Kindergarten. 

North Korea adopts a select-and-concentration strategy in education. The state provides early education to young kids who show artistic talent. Children who perform well at international competitions are admitted to artist training institutes including the Kumsong(금성) Academy of Music. Most popular North Korean singers attended such schools. 

In the North, art schools are found in central and local regions. Schools in the central area include the Kim Won-gyun Conservatory, Pyongyang University of Fine Arts, Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts, and Pyongyang Circus School. Each province has its own art colleges, such as Sinuiju College of Arts and Hyesan College of Arts. 

Those who graduate from art schools enter state-run art troupes or organizations. The most coveted posts are found in the Mansuae Art Troupe and the Pibada Art Troupe. Art troupes first select graduates of art schools in central regions. So, in many cases, those who attend schools in local provinces may not be able to enter the art troupe they want. 

The state provides education to artists for years and the artists must work in their respective fields after graduation. Graduates of central schools start from Class 5, while their local counterparts start from Class 7. Based on evaluations, they may move up to the highest Class 1. Those who made special contributions are given the title of “Merited Actor” or “People’s Actor.” 

Famous singers, actors and actresses have their fan clubs. Some diehard fans follow their stars everywhere to invade their privacy, but a new fandom culture has appeared in South Korea to have a positive influence on society. For instance, fans of 16 K-pop groups including BTS, EXO and BLACKPINK join forces to stage a forest protection campaign and engage in fund-raising activities to extend a helping hand to regions hit by earthquakes or floods. Is there any fandom culture in North Korea? 

The so-called fandom culture is rather hard to be created in North Korea. Fans may send letters to their stars. These days, they send fan letters in the form of text messages. In a video promoting actress Paek Sol-mi(백설미), who took on the role of the heroine in the film The Story of Our Home, a junior high school student said the film was so impressive in a letter sent to the actress. Fandom culture can be formed when fans are able to engage in physical activities and move around freely and individually. It’s difficult for North Koreans to do so. There are loyal fans, of course, but for now, they do not go as far as to take any action to create fandom. 

Given the characteristics of North Korean society, it is not easy to form fandom culture there. Still, artists wield great influence over the general public. One such example is Ri Sol-ju, the wife of leader Kim Jong-un. 

After graduating from the Kumsong Academy of Music, the most elite art school in North Korea, Ri performed as a singer at the Unhasu Orchestra. 

While accompanying her husband Kim Jong-un on his multiple field inspections, Ri has highlighted her presence as the country’s first lady. Having emerged as a fashion icon, she enjoys her steadfast popularity. 

Hyon Song-wol is a pop culture artist who is as influential as Ri Sol-ju. Hyon led a North Korean art delegation to South Korea for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 

During the years of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Hyon worked at the Wangjaeson Light Music Band and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble. Her song “A Girl on a Steed” is one of North Koreans’ favorite songs. 

Hyon became the leader of the Moranbong Band in 2012. At present, she serves as the vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the ruling Workers’ Party to demonstrate her strong presence. 

We can guess that there are successful pop culture artists in North Korea. While South Korean pop culture has expanded its scope worldwide, North Korean artists have a limited sphere of activity, mostly inside their country. Analysts point out that North Korean culture and art with a strong political tinge has limitations in resonating with the people the world over.