North Korea’s Education Reforms Under Kim Jong Un, Over 1500 Schools Built

The Zainichi newspaper Chosun Shinbo reported on the 17th that in the Kim Jong Un era, the party and the state have taken numerous significant measures to improve education.

Firstly, the newspaper reminded readers of Chairman Kim Jong Un’s education policy: “Developing education to make Chosun a country of education, a country of talents.”

In September 2012, in the 6th session of the 12th, the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly passed a law to implement universal 12-year compulsory education. This significant incident showcased to the world that Chosun is moving forward as an education powerhouse.

Kim pushed the projects firmly to improve conditions and the environment of education nationally and socially in various steps in 2017, the 40th anniversary of President Kim Il Sung’s announcement of the Thesis on Socialist Education, and the following year, 2018, declaring the years of scientific education.

Kim continued by proposing the slogan, “Let’s shine our country as a country of education, a powerhouse of talents by creating a new century education revolution!” in a letter sent to the 13th National Conference of Teachers participants. He pointed out that strengthening general secondary education is the key to performing the new century education revolution and revealed tasks and methods for education development.

In the years following the enactment to implement universal 12-year compulsory education, over 1,500 schools were built or expanded nationwide, and numerous classrooms were converted into multifunctional classrooms.

Through the concerted efforts of educational workers and educators, universal 12-year compulsory education was fully implemented from the start of the new academic year in April 2017.

The newspaper stated, “The education revolution is essentially a teacher revolution. The policies of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the consecutive laws adopted to develop education have become a significant opportunity for all the nation’s education workers and educators to realize their responsibilities and duties; the level and ability of educators guarantees the quality of education.”

The newspaper mentioned, “Last 2023 was a meaningful year in educational development.”

In 2023, thanks to the determination and will of the Workers’ Party of Korea to raise North Korean education to a global level, groundbreaking measures were taken to reform the country’s education system to provide advanced education and decisively improve and strengthen education.

Specifically, the adoption of the Education Support Act on December 21, 2023, was an active measure to uphold education support as citizens’ sacred duty and encourage everyone to participate.

The newspaper emphasized, “The significant measures taken for the development of education at important meetings that determine party and state policies in recent years have become practical guarantees to establish the guiding principles for Chosun’s education and to kindle the revolution of education strongly.”