Breaking taboos as a North Korean defector painter | NK News
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September 16, 2026Sep 16, 2026

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Breaking taboos as a North Korean defector painter

"I'm not a political pop artist. This is my life story."

Sun Mu’s name means “no boundary” between North Korea and South Korea. An artist who fled the DPRK in the 1990s, he now draws political pop art which hopes to reflect the tragic situation of a divided Korean peninsula.

The painting of South Korean President Park Geun-hye and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un surrounded by the bright smiles of their respective predecessors shows his sincere hope for unification – as well as reflecting the sorrow of his life.

“I don’t like the current confrontation between the South and the North since nothing has been resolved as well as the military threats