프로파간다 분석 모델로 본 리설주 선전과 전망: 강반석, 김정숙과의 비교를 중심으로 = Propaganda Analysis Model of Ri Sol-ju’s Representation and Developmental Trajectory: A Comparative Study with Kang Pan-sok and Kim Jong-suk

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study proposed a four-stage image propaganda model, combining propaganda theory and Jean Baudrillard’s concept of simulation, to conduct an in-depth analysis of how the representation of idealized female images in North Korea contributes to regime power legitimization and the reproduction of gender norms. It examines the visual composition, semiotic meaning, emotional mobilization, technical mediation, and social circulation of prominent figures – Kang Pan-sok, Kim Jong-suk, and Ri Sol-ju – who are idealized and mythologized as the “Revolutionary Mother,” the “Heroic Mother in Military Uniform,” and the “Modern Supportive First Lady,” respectively. Kang and Kim’s images reflect historical facts, transformed to align with regime ideology, culminating posthumously in the sanctification and perpetuation within collective memory, forming a traditional model of female representation. Ri Sol-ju, emerging in the Kim Jong-un era as a contemporary figure, constructs a refined and gentle supportive spouse image through advanced media technologies and public appearances, while economic hardships and other negative realities are omitted. Although Ri’s image has yet to reach sanctification, this study forecasts the potential for her image’s mythologization and evolving propaganda strategies supporting power succession based on Kang’s and Kim’s frameworks. Ri’s image emphasizes the family-state rhetoric and a normalized state image, functioning as a pivotal symbol in complex political semiotics for enhancing external propaganda and internal loyalty.
This research illuminates the political and social functions and media strategies of North Korean female image propaganda, exploring the influence of female power images on power structures and social norms, while raising the regime’s challenge of reconciling internal contradictions with idealized imagery. It under scores the necessity for comprehensive research on the evolving image of female power holders and their relation to the lived realities of North Korean women. It provides an academic foundation for analyzing the long-term effects of media environment changes on power image strategies.