Artworks produced by Mansudae Art Studio, an art organization directly affiliated with North Korea’s Workers’ Party of Korea, are reportedly being sold openly in South Korea. This has sparked concerns that the foreign currency earned from these sales could be used to fund North Korea’s nuclear development.
Mansudae Art Studio is listed under both United Nations sanctions and the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) as a restricted entity for financial transactions.
According to People Power Party lawmaker Park Choong-kwon, as of September 29, an art gallery located in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, was selling the painting White Waterfall in Cheonbul Valley at Mount Geumgang by Mansudae artist Hwang Young-jun for 950,000 won ($724), including shipping, through the online platform Naver.
Additionally, an online art auction site has reportedly auctioned 150 pieces from Mansudae Art Studio between 2017 and October last year. The auction platform promoted the artists with titles like “Director of Mansudae Art Studio” or “Chief of Mansudae Art Studio,” referencing their ranks in North Korea.
Mansudae Art Studio, established in 1959, is the largest art production studio in North Korea, directly under the Workers’ Party of Korea. The South Korean Ministry of Unification identifies the studio as a North Korean art organization engaged in generating foreign currency through creating idolizing works of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, among other pieces.
Internationally, Mansudae Art Studio is viewed as a “cash cow” for the Kim Jong-un regime. The studio was added to the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions list in 2017. In December 2016, the South Korean FSC also designated Mansudae Art Studio as a restricted entity under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Under South Korean law, engaging in financial transactions with restricted entities without prior approval from the FSC, or knowingly engaging in transactions with restricted parties, is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,865).
The issue is that these artworks are being openly distributed within the country without any restrictions. “Online platforms in South Korea are selling these works without any warning,” Park’s office pointed out. In response to a parliamentary inquiry from Park’s office about whether the FSC was monitoring the domestic circulation of Mansudae artworks, the FSC replied that it had not been keeping track of the situation.
Lawmaker Park stressed the urgency of the situation, warning, “If the distribution of Mansudae Art Studio’s works is neglected, it could ultimately be exploited as a source of foreign currency for North Korea through indirect channels such as China. Many domestic buyers are likely unaware that their purchases could be in violation of the law, so it is crucial for the FSC to thoroughly investigate this matter.”
BY JIWON YOON, YOUNGNAM KIM [yoon.jiwon1@joongang.co.kr]
