North Koreans and the Rules of Art in South Korea : Outsiders, Identity and the Media

This thesis examines North Korean migrants’ agency over the objective constraints caused by their categorization as ‘defectors’. By analyzing the direct accounts of three North Korean artists residing in South Korea, this thesis explores the mechanisms they employ to develop their artistic career in a context where their identity is labelled. Current literature on North Korean migrants’ social adaptation finds that their difficulties stem from various changes in migration policy. Yet, very few studies consider the individual steps that they might take during their adaptation process. Relying on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the idea of social identity and the concept of the ‘outsider’ in art, this study finds that North Korean migrants are exposed to diverse settings that can both prevent from and enable them to expand their agency. The thesis attempts to offer a more nuanced explanation of social adaptation by looking at the specific contexts in which individuals are collectively categorized whilst striving for their own individuality