When people imagine North Korea, one of the first images that pops into one’s mind is that of streets full of propaganda posters. An ongoing exhibition in Seoul, though, compares real North Korean posters and South Korean governmental and commercial posters.

The exhibition, entitled “Republic of Korea, embrace North Korean posters,” shows more than 70 posters from North Korea for the first time, donated by Baek Geum-nam, honorary professor of Sungkyunkwan University.

By comparing posters printed in South Korea, the exhibition shows how politics and international influence have transformed the two societies, despite their shared traditions dating back thousands of