Hong Young-hee

Hong was born in Kaesong in 1955. She grew up in Unheung-gun, Ryanggang Province, where she graduated from Unheung Middle School in 1971.^[5] Before pursuing acting, she worked as a transporter. She later attended an actor training class at the Korean Art Film Studio and eventually graduated from the acting department of the Pyongyang University of Theater and Film in 1976.^[6][7]

Hong Young-hee's rise from a provincial transport worker to the most recognizable face in North Korea began in 1972.^[2] At the age of 16, while still a student at the Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts, she was cast as Gkop-bun in the film adaptation of the revolutionary opera, The Flower Girl.^[2]

Her performance as a suffering but resilient peasant girl under Japanese colonial rule resonated deeply with audiences.^[2] The film became a massive diplomatic success, winning a special prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.^[2] Overnight, Hong became a national symbol, and the North Korean government awarded her the title of Merited Actor while she was still a teenager—a feat virtually unheard of in the industry.^[8]

Her performance made her a national icon.^[8] She was awarded the title of Merited Actor immediately following the film's release, an unprecedented honor for a teenager. The film's release in China turned Hong into a superstar there, where she was affectionately called the "National Sister".^[8]

The cultural penetration of Hong's role as Gkop-bun was so profound that the North Korean Central Bank broke precedent by featuring her likeness on the 1-won banknote issued in 1992.^[4] Portrayed in the traditional hanbok she wore in the film, she became the literal face of the national currency for nearly two decades, cementing her status as a "living treasure" of the state.^[4]

While The Flower Girl made her a star, the 1980 film The Fourteenth Winter established her as a serious dramatic force.^[2] Playing Baek Seol-hee, a real-life scientist who dedicated 14 years to developing a new strain of winter-resistant rice, Hong portrayed a "hidden hero" of the revolution.^[2]

The film is famous for a production anecdote involving Kim Jong-il. During a vocal recording, Hong reportedly sang a passage with a slight rhythmic delay. Kim Jong-il, acting as the film's producer, famously intervened, stating that the "mistake" carried more genuine emotion than the original score. He ordered the entire song's time signature changed to accommodate her natural delivery, a story that is still used in North Korean media to illustrate his "genius" and Hong's intuitive talent.

Later she appeared in major roles in films such as We Met Again on Mt. Myohyang, The Person Who Remains in the Heart, The Story of a Superintendent, The Virgin Driver, and Silver Hairpin a Japanese production which was shot in Japan.^[9]

As the primary "cultural ambassador" for North Korean film, Hong represented the nation during rare periods of thaw.^[2] In 1990, she attended a joint North-South film screening in the United States, where she was the subject of intense South Korean media scrutiny.^[2]

Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in numerous installments of the multi-part epic Nation and Destiny, North Korea's most ambitious cinematic project.^[5][5] Hong remains a respected figure in North Korean arts.^[5] In 2020, she appeared on Chosun Central TV to discuss the history of The Fourteenth Winter. In 2021, she gave an interview to the Chosun Shinbo, and in 2022, she participated in the 52nd National Arts and Sports Competition, recalling her first participation in the event 50 years prior in 1972.^[10]

In the 21st century, Hong transitioned into a mentor role.^[11] She is frequently seen at the Pyongyang International Film Festival, where she is treated with the highest level of reverence by both the public and state officials.^[11] In 2013, she was honored with the Kim Jong-il Prize, the highest award for an artist in the country.^[11]

She is reported to have a 6th-degree familial relationship with the North Korean novelist Hong Guk-taek.^[2] Hong is married to a prominent musician and has two children.^[2] She lives in an elite neighborhood in Pyongyang.^[2] In 1990, she represented the DPRK film industry at a festival in New York, where she was interviewed by South Korean broadcaster KBS, confirming her status as one of the country's most protected and respected citizens.^[2]

Due to her status as a top cultural figure, Hong has been involved in several major political events:

• In 1980, she awarded the title of People's Actor following the success of The Fourteenth Winter.^[2]
• In 1980, she was awarded Order of the National Flag, First Class.^[1]
• In 1980–1981, she served as a delegate to the 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea and the 7th Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth Alliance.
• In 1990, she represented the North Korean film industry at the North-South Film Festival, where she was interviewed by the South Korean broadcaster KBS.^[2]
• In 2009, she was selected to present flowers to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao upon his arrival at Sunan Airport.^[6]
• In 2013, she became the first actor to receive the Kim Jong-il Award.^[11]