해방 직후 북한의 국가 상징물 제정 과정과 매체 활용 양상: 국기와 국장을 중심으로

Abstract

Focusing on the national flag and national emblem, the present study not only examines the history, production process, and producers of North Korea’s national symbols by analyzing the remained text, but also explores the ways of using national symbols in various visual media. While history and literature scholars have investigated the production process and the symbolic meanings of the North Korean flag (Ingongki) on the basis of Kim Du-bong’s writings, art historians have mostly relied on the writings of Kim Chu Keung, who has been widely known as the maker of the national flag. In this article, I investigate the related materials as well as the writings of both Kim Du-bong and Kim Chu Keung, with a particular focus on the meanings and variation of the narratives depending on the producer. In order to advertise North Korea as a new country and to show tits national identity both internally and externally, the national symbols were used in various visual media, and there have been differences by period and media. Right after the liberation from Japan in 1945 and until the establishment of the government, Taegeukgi, Mugunghwa, and Mt. Geumgang were used as symbols of the country. After the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was enacted in 1948 and the establishment of the government was declared, the North Korean flag and the national emblem were actively used in commemorative stamps. During the Korean War in 1950, the North Korean flag was used as an icon to evoke patriotism along with war heroes on postage stamps, as well as on posters and book covers. In addition, as the only system of Kim Il-sung became full-fledged, Taegeukgi was intentionally deleted from the records, while the red flag took its place in the depiction of historical scenes of the Japanese colonial period. Accordingly, depending on the period, there were differences in iconography and historical description.