He graduated from Pyongyang Gobo in 1938, studied theater in Seoul, and then moved to Japan to attend Rikkyo University.
He returned to Pyongyang in 1946, where he became active in the General Union of North Korean Literature and Art.
He participated in the Korean War as a military officer in the Korean People's Army, and was trusted with ideology and propaganda that thoroughly suited Kim Il Sung's tastes, and held key positions in the cabinet, including director of the Ministry of Culture.
He served as the head of the Baekdu Mountain Literary Creation Group, launched in 1968, where he also created the Five Revolutionary Operas.
[2] Based on this experience, he rose to the position of head of the Culture and Arts Department of the Administration Council.