North Korean Children’s magazines from liberation to the 1960s: A Study on the Bibliography and Visual Culture

This article examines the bibliographic details and cover images of children’s magazines published in North Korea from immediately after liberation to the late 1960s. The first children’s magazine, Ŏrin Tongmu (Children’s Companion), was published in January 1946. This was followed by Children’s Literature, Sonyŏndan (Boys’ Group), and Woori Dongmu (Our Companion) in the late 1940s. In April 1960, a picture magazine for kindergarten children titled Kkotbongori was introduced. An analysis of the bibliographic data of these five children’s magazines reveals differences in aspects such as page count, price, and use of color, depending on the theme and purpose of each publication. In the early years, these magazines primarily focused on education, but over time, they were increasingly used to convey the policies of the ruling party and regime. Meanwhile, the cover images of the monthly magazines Children’s Literature and Sonyŏndan, which were published over an extended period, often depicted Joseon Boys wearing red ties. The content of these covers was closely tied to seasonal themes and monthly events, reflecting both the lives of the boys and the periodic nature of the publications. Artists active in North Korea at the time participated in producing these covers, and from the mid-1950s onward, the activities of North Korean painters became particularly notable. Over time, the style and iconography of children’s magazine covers underwent significant changes. Until the mid-1950s, covers primarily featured realistic, sketch-style illustrations. However, from around 1957, the use of Joseonhwa (traditional Korean painting) increased, and the range of visual materials diversified. These illustrations were characterized by techniques designed to appeal to children’s sensibilities, the use of bright colors, and the distinct styles of individual artists. In the 1960s, a generational shift occurred, with new artists emerging from the Publishing and Painting Department of Pyongyang Art University. This period saw the introduction of cartoon-style group images, children dressed in colorful jeogori, and the Chollima statue — symbolizing the Chollima era — as prominent visual motifs. This article offers an opportunity to study North Korean children’s magazines from multiple perspectives by not only revisiting Children’s Literature and Kkotbongori, but also introducing the previously understudied Ŏrin Tongmu, Woori Dongmu, and Sonyŏndan within the frameworks of visual and cultural history.