The Education System of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Abstract

Korea was under the Japanese colonial rule up to August, 1945. So in a sense, education never had a chance to develop in the country. There were millions of illiterate adults in northern half of Korea in the pre-liberation period and majority of children could not afford to go to school before its liberation. After liberation an advanced education system has been established in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which eliminated the remnants of the Japanese colonial slavery education in a short span of time and ushered in a new age of socialist civilization on its land which was once a land of illiteracy and ignorance. The education system of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea comprises the universal compulsory education system, the universal free education system, the study-while-you-work system, and the state childcare system. The education system of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is based on the Juche idea, which centers on man.