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You are invited to a hybrid special lecture: "The spread of North Korean culture in Poland" by Prof. Nicolas Levi (Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences). 

Time: September 24, 2025, 14:15-16:00 CET

If you are in Oslo, you can attend it physically: Room: SB , Aud 1

UiO, Blindern Campus.

Otherwise, you can follow on Zoom

Meeting ID: 660 3568 0446

The lecture is a part of the European Program for the Exchange of Lecturers (EPEL) organized and sponsored by Association for Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE).

Summary:

The lecture investigated the dissemination of North Korean culture in Poland, situating it within the context of Cold War alliances and socialist bloc cultural diplomacy. It traced the ways in which art exhibitions, film screenings, and official delegations were employed to promote an idealized image of North Korean society, emphasizing the role of visual arts and cinema as key vehicles of ideological messaging. Polish receptions of these cultural imports were complex, combining recognition of their propagandistic aims with a certain curiosity toward their aesthetic and exotic qualities. While the political transformations of 1989 curtailed official channels of exchange, the legacy of these encounters persists through scholarly inquiry, private collecting, and selective artistic engagement. The lecture underscored how Polish fascination with North Korean socialist realism reflects broader tensions between art and ideology, memory and propaganda, ultimately framing Poland as a distinctive case study in the global reach of North Korea’s cultural soft power. 

Lecturer's bio:

Nicolas Levi is a French-Polish political scientist and researcher at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences, specializing in North Korean studies. His work focuses on three main projects: the study of religious life in North Korea, the analysis of the country’s cultural assets, and research on relations between North Korea and selected european countries (France, Germany, Central European countries). He has published widely on these topics and is the co-author of J’étais diplomate nord-coréen, written with former North Korean diplomat Han Jin-myung, which provides rare insights into the regime’s inner workings and diplomatic strategies.