We are auctioning off some of the most difficult artwork in the world to buy, as most of it cannot be legally exported from North Korea--and it's not easy to get the legal artwork out, either. This rarity makes for a great collectible or gift!

To some, this artwork is viewed as a permanent reminder of what life was like--and still is like--behind the Iron Curtain of totalitarian communism that has been at loggerheads with the "Free World" for the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

To others, this artwork bears testament to a proud country that desperately wants to take charge of its own destiny without the plague of foreign interference that has infested the Korean peninsula since the Japanese occupation that began nearly one hundred years ago.

With its unique blend of Confucianism, Maoism and Stalinism, North Korea (which is officially recognised by the UN as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is the last bastion of Cold War Era communism that has little evolved since the 1950s. It is one of the least visited countries with only about 1,500 Western tourists a year.

Propaganda art has been used throughout history the world over to control the hearts, minds and actions of citizens. In North Korea, these never subtle, yet artistic, propaganda messages are as commonly displayed on billboards and murals throughout the country as advertising is in the industrialized world.

Many political observers in the West view the North Korean leadership's penchant for brinkmanship as destabilizing not only North-East Asia, but also the world. However, North Korean sympathizers argue that the country is protecting itself from Western corruption, particularly that from the U.S.

In the West, North Korea is seen as a serious military threat, with one of the world's largest standing armies, significant dug-in heavy artillery, and likely biological, chemical and possibly a few nuclear bombs, plus medium-range ballistic missiles. However, North Korea regards this build-up as taking a strong defensive stand, promoted as the "Army First" or "Songun" policy "to maintain indepedence or become the colonial slaves of imperialism."

Despite the significant sacrifice the allied countries made on the Korean peninsula against what was regarded as incursions of totalitarian communism, the Korean War in the West is just as often the "Forgotten War". By bearing witness to state-sanctioned propaganda art from a political system as far different from our liberal democracies as is possible, we can reflect upon the ideologies, political metaphors and myths disseminated by the Hermit Kingdom, while we ponder and question those broadcast from our own governments.

Many Western observers question how much longer this reclusive country will exist. We question how much longer will this powerful and aesthetically appealing artwork be produced--buy now while you can! Note that printed Chinese propaganda posters have recently been sold at action for upwards of USD $10,000.

We will be auctioning off our limited collection as well as expanding into other types of art, from woodblock prints to traditional Korean artwork--all produced in the DPRK. Please keep checking our User ID frequently! There is so much demand for these items that we are selling most of our items through other channels, but we intend to put as much as we can onto eBay.

View our listings here: http://stores.ebay.com/north-korean-art