Song Byeok

Song Byeok (; born 1969) is a South Korean painter, activist, and North Korean defector. Before defecting, he was a propaganda painter.

For seven years, Song produced posters praising the Kim regime, painting utopian scenes of happy workers and soldiers alongside slogans such as "Let us become a bullet for General Kim Jong-il!".

Famine and defection Song's perspective shifted during the "Arduous March" famine of the 1990s, which claimed the lives of his mother and younger sister. Released while near death, he eventually escaped to China in 2001 and arrived in South Korea in January 2002. He began subverting the bold, graphic style of propaganda into satirical pop art.

He painted another one called Hope a painting of a man spreading wings, representing the desire for freedom for the North Korean people. Later he made another called Around the Tumen River a traditional Tang Dynasty-style landscape that, upon closer inspection, reveals the harsh realities of North Korean life, such as soldiers scrounging for food.

In 2025, he published his autobiography, Escaping North Korea: The Journey of a Propaganda Painter to the Free World.

Activism Song continues to engage in international advocacy, participating in events like the Bergen International Literary Festival (LitFestBergen) to discuss North-South Korean relations and the power of art in protest.