Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Live and Fight with a Clear Conscience and Deep Faith”: Propaganda, Folklore, and the Alternate Reality Exposed in Every Falling Star

In this exercise, students will analyze a North Korean propaganda poster of their choosing, evaluating it closely to reveal the truth it tries to conceal.

Service, selflessness, and above all an unwavering loyalty to the Workers’ Party of Korea—these are core themes found in North Korean propaganda art. For example, in this propaganda poster from 2006, a North Korean man holds one his hand over his heart while his other hand gestures to the hovering specter of his ancestor, a North Korean veteran who fought against the Japanese. This scene is meant to evoke in North Korean citizens a sense of history, nationalistic pride, and duty to “pay it forward.”  

At the beginning of Every Falling Star, Sungju clings to the folk stories and myths about the superiority of Kim Il-sung and the communist party often enshrined in North Korean propaganda.

In this exercise, you will analyze a North Korean propaganda poster of your choice. In the same way that Sungju learned the traumatic reality behind the folk stories he was once told as a child, you too will reveal the truths hidden in the propaganda images. First, investigate the kind of symbols and themes often used in North Korean propaganda art, and briefly research their propaganda program in general. It might be helpful to refer to the following articles:

• “What North Korean Propaganda Posters Reveal” from CNN
• “Colorful Propaganda Posters Offer a Glimpse into North Korean Life” from the University of San Diego Library
• “North Korea’s Bold Wave of Propaganda Art – in Pictures” from The Guardian
• “‘The People Are God’: See North Korea’s New Propaganda Slogans and Posters” by NK News

Next, select the propaganda poster that you would like to analyze. The University of San Diego Library has a digital collection of 66 hand-painted reproductions of printed propaganda posters, dating from 1985 and 2002.

Once you’ve selected your poster, develop a 5—10-minute presentation on your findings. Your presentation should include four elements:

(1)  An analysis of any meaningful symbols (consider figures, colors, and captions)

(2)  A discussion of the particular year in which your poster was published

(3)  An explanation of the “truth” that the poster aims to conceal, and

(4)  A connection between the poster and one or more of the main themes from Every Falling Star.

Present your findings to the class.

Teaching Suggestion: For a lively class discussion, you may wish to ensure that each student selects a unique poster so that there are no duplicates. If students have trouble understanding the hidden truth behind the propaganda posters, you can use this as an instructive example and explain that the slogan conveniently glosses over the horrors of actual war.