Changes in North Korea’s higher education and education management system during the Kim Jong Un Era

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to review changes in North Korea’s education system during the Kim Jong-un era to determine if North Korea has focused on higher education and obtained the educational goals set in the Kim Jung-il era. To do so, this paper examines how North Korea’s education laws and educational content have influenced its central educational administration system from the Kim Il-sung to the Kim Jong-un regime. This study also explores specific changes in North Korea’s higher education system. For the analysis, I reviewed a variety of documents and media content, such as policies announced by the North Korean media, statute books, textbooks, magazines, and interviews with North Korean defectors regarding educational changes. Results indicate that North Korea’s educational system was reformed only after the reform of its administrative system. Additionally, the results demonstrate that North Korean education has shifted from basic, theoretical education to practical education during the Kim Jong-un regime. This study concludes that higher education in North Korea will continue to be reinforced for everyone so it can build an advanced nation.

KEYWORDS:

• North Korea education
• higher education
• administrative system human resources development
• distance education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Geolocation information

Seoul, Korea.

Notes

1. North Korea’s education law includes information on educational regulations; the comprehensive free education system; educational institutions’ placement and operating principles and educators’ role; education’s content, method, and conditions; and educational project guidance.

2. Juche (translated as “self-reliance”) is the official state ideology of North Korea, described by the government as “Kim Il-sung’s original, brilliant and revolutionary contribution to national and international thought” (Wikipedia entry on Juche) (Retrieved Date from : (2020, February 23)).

3. This study uses the term “distance”, which is generally used in North Korea, instead of “remote”.

4. Choi Jung Hwa, Kim Ji-Yoon (Interview date: 1–4 p.m. on 19 July 2018, my office).

5. Han Young Sub (interview date: 8–10 p.m. 9 December 2017, Jogyesa Temple Seminar Room), Choi Jung Hwa, Kim Ji-Yoon (Interview date: 1–4 p.m. on 19 July 2018, my office).

6. Kim Hyeon-Suk, Lee Hee Jung, Lee Hyun Ok, Park Geum Hee (interview date: 1–4 p.m. on 3 August 2018, my office).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund.

Notes on contributors

Eun-Jeong Kim

Eun-Jeong Kim, current Humanities Korea(HK) Associate professor at the Humanities Korea Semiosis Research Center at the Institute of Foreign Literature Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, has a Ph.D in North Korean Literature and specializes in Korean Language Education and Korean Literature. The author lectures on Literary Criticism Methodology, North Korean Education, North Korean literature, etc.The author’s current research interests include changes in North Korea’s educational system, and the author has written books, such as Education System in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and papers, such as “A Study on North Korea’s Education-Centering for Middle School.”