North Korean Propaganda: Unprecedented Bumper Crop in History, The War Memorial of Korea Open Archives
A propaganda poster is a form of propagandistic art that features literal depictions of phenomena and subjects that are relevant to various fields, such as politics, economy, culture, and military. Until the 1960s, such art was called posters, but from 1967 and on, when a framework for the official state ideology was developed, the term propaganda poster entered use. In North Korea, propaganda poster is considered the most proactive and engaging form of art, created for the purpose of promotion and propaganda to help enact the policies of the ruling party. According to the
Dictionary of Literature and Art (1991), propaganda posters can be categorized into political propaganda posters, cultural education propaganda posters, film propaganda posters, and advertisement propaganda posters, depending on the purpose and function. Depending on method of expression and medium, propaganda posters can be categorized into print propaganda posters, photograph propaganda posters, and satirical propaganda posters. According to Han Gyeong-sik, a North Korean art critic, the compositions of propaganda posters are created through hapseongbeop. Hapseongbeop does "not depict a single scene of synchronous, everyday events, but rather depicts the broad spectrum of daily life by combining diverse events that occur at various times and locales." Propaganda posters, together with Joseonhwa, and oil painting are an important genre for North Korean art exhibitions. In North Korea, the National Propaganda Poster Exhibition is held early in the year, in January or February, at the People's Palace of Culture.
* Source: Multilingual Glossary of Korean Art by Korea Arts Management Service
