From the 'Soviet era' to the 'Russian renaissance': Evolution of the narrative about Russia and Russians in the North Korean cultural discourse

Abstract

Throughout the history of the DPRK, the narrative about the Soviet Union, subsequently Russia, has served as an important reference point against which North Korean policymakers have constructed the self-image of the state and its people. Since 1945, the North Korean image of Russia has undergone a process of complicated transformation which has reflected the DPRK’s changing political purposes and perspectives. This article investigates the evolution of the North Korean narrative of Russia with particular attention to two distinctive ‘Russian waves’, which occurred in the period from 1945 to the early 1960s, and in the early 2000s. Basing herself on historical investigation of a wide range of North Korean literary texts, the author analyses the major features, messages and imagery in the North Korean discourse about the Soviet Union/Russia from 1945 to the 2000s and considers the political implications and propagandistic efficiency of this discourse.