A Study on Cultural Films Animations from the 1950s to the 1960s: Focused on the National Film Production Center

This paper argues for the need to re-catalog animations in cultural films produced by the National Film Production Center, which are fading into the mists of Korean film history. Given the center’s obligation to promote national policies, it is essential not only to specify when these cultural films were made but also to accurately identify the artists involved in the animations. However, the basic information varies among institutions that introduce these cultural films. First, the role of short animations produced by the National Film Production Center from the 1950s to the 1980s is examined in this paper, with their inception and decline being analyzed through articles published in each era. This paper argues that the first cultural film animation should be identified not as “Cartoon of Killing Rats” (September 1959), but as “Acacia Tree Growing in Korea” (April 1959). Moreover, the migration of animators from the National Film Production Center to private film companies and the government’s dismissive attitude towards cartoons are cited as reasons for the decline. Finally, the relationship between the animations in cultural films and contemporary short animations featured in Daehan News (Korean News) is explored. This paper advocates to expand the research horizons of the cultural films.