Culture & Traditions

Overview

North Korea's culture is a unique blend of traditional Korean heritage and the pervasive influence of socialist state ideology. The regime has actively molded cultural life to serve political purposes, but many age-old Korean customs and art forms persist in regulated forms.

Arts and Literature

The arts in North Korea are heavily state-controlled and are considered a tool for propaganda and fostering nationalism. All artists, writers, and performers are employed by the government. There are prestigious institutions like the National Theatre in Pyongyang, the State Symphony Orchestra, and the Mansudae Art Studio – these gather the country's top talent but also ensure they produce works meeting ideological standards.

Common themes in North Korean art include the revolutionary history of the nation, anti-imperialism, glorification of the Workers' Party, and everyday life of workers and soldiers depicted in a positive light. Socialist Realism (an art style depicting communist values in a realistic way) is dominant. In visual arts, one will often see towering statues of leaders (e.g. the bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang) and murals of smiling farmers and soldiers. Public art and monuments are ubiquitous – every town has revolutionary sculptures or mosaics.

Literature

North Korean literature similarly focuses on ideological content. Novels or short stories often have titles like "The Fate of a Self-reliant Worker" or "The Forest Sways", emphasizing collectivist morals and loyalty to the Party. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il both wrote treatises on art (Kim Jong-il's On the Art of Cinema is famous), guiding that literature and film must serve the masses and the revolution.

Notably, folk arts have not been entirely discarded: traditional Korean painting styles (such as ink wash), calligraphy, and ceramics are practiced, but often the subjects will be patriotic (e.g. landscapes of Mt. Paektu or scenes from revolutionary battles). The government also has a focus on archaeology – excavating ancient Korean sites – to bolster national pride in Korea's long history.

Music and Dance

North Korean music ranges from traditional folk tunes to military marches and revolutionary operas. Folk music (minyo) is permitted and sometimes performed at state events, though often with updated patriotic lyrics. The kayagum (12-string zither) and janggu (drum) are traditional instruments still in use, alongside Western instruments in orchestras.

Much of the contemporary music is patriotic. There are famous state music groups like the State Merited Chorus (known for its rousing martial songs) and the Moranbong Band – an all-female pop ensemble formed in 2012 reportedly on Kim Jong-un's orders. The Moranbong Band stirred attention by incorporating synthesizers, electric guitars, and even Disney imagery in some concerts, albeit still singing praise for the Party and country. Their performances (in fashionable outfits) signaled a slightly modernized cultural output, though still closely overseen by authorities.

Dance

Dance is also prominent – traditional Korean dances (like the fan dance, drum dance) are performed on national holidays, often by students in coordinated groups. North Korea is known for massive synchronized performances: the Mass Games (Arirang Festival) mentioned earlier featured tens of thousands of gymnasts and dancers moving in unison to form giant images and messages in the stadium. This is perhaps the epitome of North Korean cultural showcases – blending artistry, athleticism, and propaganda (with backdrops forming slogans like "Long Live General Kim Il-sung").

Film and Theater

Kim Jong-il was a cinephile and under his influence the North Korean film industry produced many films. There is a Korean Film Studio in Pyongyang (sometimes shown to foreign tourists). Plots usually revolve around historical revolutions, Korean War heroics, or moral tales of workers outsmarting saboteurs.

One internationally known North Korean movie is "Pulgasari" (1985), a Godzilla-like monster movie which was actually produced with the help of a South Korean director whom Kim Jong-il's agents had kidnapped – a bizarre footnote in film history.

Live theater in the form of revolutionary operas is also significant. The "Five Great Revolutionary Operas" include works like "Sea of Blood" and "The Flower Girl", stories set in colonial times or the war that emphasize suffering under Japanese/capitalists and salvation through revolution. These operas are performed with live orchestra, Korean-style melodic singing mixed with Western operatic elements, and are staples of the cultural canon.

Holidays and Celebrations

North Korea's calendar is filled with political anniversaries and national holidays, which are celebrated with much fanfare:

Major Holidays

• April 15 – The Day of the Sun: Kim Il-sung's birthday. It is a nationwide holiday with mass celebrations, military parades in some years, mass dances by students, and exhibitions. In Pyongyang, residents line up to bow at Kim Il-sung's giant statue and thousands of children and citizens participate in coordinated displays.
• February 16 – The Day of the Shining Star: Kim Jong-il's birthday. It's marked similarly with gatherings, fireworks, and loyalty pledges.
• September 9 – Founding Day of the DPRK (National Day): Commemorating the 1948 foundation of North Korea, often features large performances and sometimes military parades in Kim Il-sung Square if it's a significant anniversary.
• Other notable holidays: February 8 (Army Founding Day), October 10 (Party Foundation Day), August 15 (Liberation Day) which North and South both observe for Japan's 1945 surrender, and January 1 (New Year's Day) which is celebrated by a leader's New Year address.

Traditional Korean holidays such as Lunar New Year (Seollal) and Chuseok (Harvest Moon Festival) are also observed to some degree in the North, usually as days off with family activities. The regime has tried to emphasize the political dates over some of these, but families do prepare special meals and wear traditional clothes on these occasions as well.

Traditional Clothing

The traditional Korean attire, the hanbok, is worn in North Korea and referred to as chosŏn-ot (Joseon clothes). This attire – for women, a long high-waisted skirt with a short jacket, and for men, baggy trousers with a tunic – is still commonly seen during national celebrations and weddings. Women often wear vibrant colored chosŏn-ot for ceremonies or when visiting statues of the Leaders.

On a daily basis, most North Koreans wear more standard, utilitarian clothing (Mao-style jackets for men used to be common, though Western-style clothing is increasingly seen in cities). Military or paramilitary uniforms are also extremely common street attire, given the large proportion of the population in the armed forces or affiliated organizations.

Etiquette and Customs

Korean etiquette like bowing to elders, using polite speech forms, and emphasis on collective harmony remain in North Korea. But added to this is an elaborate set of rituals to show respect to the Leaders. For example:

• Every adult wears a pin with Kim Il-sung's (and often Kim Jong-il's) portrait on their lapel at all times; failing to wear one can invite suspicion.
• When speaking of the Kims, North Koreans must use their full titles ("Respected Marshal Kim Jong-un") or honorific phrasing.
• Photographs or writings of the leaders must be handled carefully – it's criminal to deface a newspaper photo of Kim.
• In homes and offices, the portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il must be hung on the wall and kept clean (inspectors check for dust).

Traditional family customs like ancestral memorial rites (jesa) were largely abolished because of their connection to religion/Confucianism; instead, the days of the leaders' deaths (July 8 for Kim Il-sung, December 17 for Kim Jong-il) are times when people bow and lay flowers at their statues or portraits.

Food Culture

Food culture remains distinctly Korean – kimchi is ubiquitous, and staples like cold noodles (naengmyeon, especially the Pyongyang style buckwheat noodles) are considered national dishes. North Korea is proud of its local cuisines: Pyongyang naengmyeon became famous during inter-Korean talks in 2018, and dishes like kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi are also part of the culture (though ordinary people may rarely afford meat for bulgogi).

On festive days, families make special treats like rice cakes (tteok). Alcohol, especially soju (rice liquor) and makgeolli (milky rice beer), is common in social settings – North Koreans do enjoy drinking and have several local soju brands. Tobacco smoking is very common among men (North Korea has a high smoking rate, and even Kim Jong-un is often seen smoking).

Cultural Heritage

Despite the regime's focus on the revolution, North Korea does preserve some traditional heritage sites. Notably, it has two UNESCO World Heritage sites:

• The complex of Koguryo Kingdom Tombs (in the Pyongyang/Nampo area)
• The Historic Monuments and Sites of Kaesong (relics from the Koryo dynasty)

These reflect an appreciation for ancient Korean civilization. Museums like the Korean Central History Museum and the Koryo Museum in Kaesong display artifacts from Korea's past (often to reinforce that North Korea is the true custodian of Korean purity, as their narrative goes). Folklore such as the legend of Dangun (the mythical founder of the first Korean kingdom) is acknowledged in textbooks, though often linked into the narrative of Kim Il-sung being heir to Korea's long struggle.

Folk Games and Sports

Folk games (e.g. ssirum wrestling, kite-flying, yut board game) are sometimes seen during holidays. North Korea has also cultivated mass gymnastics and sports as part of culture – the Rungrado May Day Stadium's Mass Games, mentioned earlier, combined athleticism with artistry. Gymnastics, volleyball, table tennis, football are promoted as collective leisure.

Summary

North Korea's culture is a carefully choreographed mix: it retains core Korean traditions in clothing, food, and historical pride, yet everything is overlaid with the ideological narrative of the regime. Creative expression is allowed only within strict bounds – art must "enhance class consciousness and propagate the superiority and independence of Korean culture" under socialism. This has created a somewhat homogeneous cultural scene where true innovation is rare. Nevertheless, the people take genuine part in folk dances, songs, and customs, finding meaning in them even as they navigate the required loyalty to the state. The resilience of traditional Korean culture under the DPRK's stewardship is a testament to the deep roots of these customs, even if their presentation is constantly politicized.