North Korean Art
Artist Titles in North Korea
Historical overview translated from the original Korean text. Dates and figures, including those for 2000, reflect that source.
People's Artist
One of the highest state honorary titles awarded to artists in North Korea.
It was established by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on July 27, 1961.
It is awarded to practitioners in fields such as painting, sculpture, composition and crafts for embodying the Workers' Party's ideology and the Juche artistic ideas of Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il, implementing the Party's cultural policy and contributing to socialist national art.
The original overview describes a system of eleven categories—from unranked artists and grades 1–8 to Merited Artist and People's Artist—with differing pay levels, intended to reinforce adherence to the Party's ideology and Kim Il Sung's artistic ideas.
The overview describes People's Artist as the highest of these honors, accompanied by the Order of the National Flag. It was awarded in Kim Il Sung's name and continued under Kim Jong Il after Kim Il Sung's death in 1994. The monthly salary cited for 2000 was about 330 North Korean won, between the pay of a minister and a vice minister.
By 2000, approximately one hundred artists were said to have received the title, about half of them Chosonhwa painters.
Merited Artist
A state honorary title awarded to artists in North Korea.
It recognizes artists whose achievements in implementing the Workers' Party's ideology, Juche artistic ideas and cultural policy are considered to have strengthened ideological commitment and advanced socialist national art.
The title was established by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly on June 4, 1952, for fields including painting, sculpture, composition and crafts. In the visual arts, the original text describes recipients as typically having earned special praise from Kim Il Sung or repeated special prizes or gold medals at state exhibitions.
The original account describes substantial status and privileges, including pay comparable to a vice minister, and associates the title with the “Hero of Labor” designation, below the highest artist title of People's Artist.