North Korea North Korea North Korea

Foreign Policy: The general school No Freedom of Movement

North Korea's system is what is It is illegal for the North Korean
foreign relations referred to as school people to leave their country without
are shaped by a systems in other the regime’s permission, and the
mixture of nations across the regime attempts to restrict the
historical, globe. It is referred to people’s movement even inside their
nationalistic, as general school own country. If you wish to travel to
ideological, and system so as to another part of the country, you are
pragmatic differentiate it from supposed to have a specific purpose
considerations. The the other types of and obtain permission from your
territorial division schools mentioned work unit. If you do not live in
of the peninsula above. GSS contains Pyongyang, the showcase capital
looms large in the kindergarten all where most resources are
political thinking of through 10th grade concentrated, you will likely be
North Korean (K-10), elementary denied access. The regime has also
leaders and is a schools, secondary forcibly relocated hundreds of
driving force in schools, and higher thousands of North Koreans to less
their management education. favorable parts of the country as a
of internal and Kindergarten goes form of punishment and political
external affairs. for two years and it persecution.
Over the centuries, has two levels. The
North &
unequal relations, lower class starts at "In North Korea, you need a
South
foreign age four while the certificate to move to different
Korea
depredation, upper class starts age places, which is especially difficult
dependence on five. At this stage, for Kaesong because there is a lot of
foreigners for education is free and exchange going on there with South
assorted favors, and compulsory. Korea.”
the emulation of Elementary
foreign cultures and (primary) school also No Freedom of Speech
institutions are less referred to as Criticism of the regime or the
the exception than people’s school or leadership in North Korea, if
the rule in Korea's Inmin hakkyo, starts reported, is enough to make you and
relationship with at age six and it takes your family ‘disappear’ from society
the outside world. a total of four years and end up in a political prison camp.
These patterns give to finish. The next It goes without saying that there is no
rise to the widely stage is secondary free media inside the country. The
shared assumption school which is only opinion allowed to be voiced
among Koreans higher middle school inside the country is the regime’s.
that their capacity or Kodung
to control their chunghakkyo in No Freedom of Information
national destiny is North Korea. This Knowing the threat that outside
limited by offers students a total information poses to their
geopolitical of six years of propaganda and ideology, and
constraints. learning and it has ultimately its control over the
two main levels: the people, the regime has invested
 lower-level middle massive resources in trying to
South Korea school which is maintain an information blockade
Foreign Policy: attended by students and keep its monopoly as the only
1. Construct aged between 10-13 source of information and ideas to
“symbiotic years and it goes for the North Korean people. It is illegal
complex networks” four years; and the to own a tunable radio in North
appropriate for a higher-level high Korea, there is no access to the
new order in East school that is Internet (except for a few hand-
Asia. completed in two picked and monitored officials), and
2. Establish a new years and it is North Korean landlines and mobile
inter-Korean attended by students phones cannot make international
relationship aged between 14-15 calls.
through the “co- years.
evolution strategy.” "I can study whatever I want,
After completing
3. Actively whereas college students in North
secondary schools,
participate in Korea can study only what the North
recommended
designing a new Korean regime allows them to
students can proceed
regional and global study.” - Hye Won
and take up higher
governance
education. This has
architecture Forced Leadership Adulation
two main systems;
through “middle The regime forces the people to
for continued
power diplomacy.” participate in the maintenance of
education and
personality cults around the Kim
academic purposes.
leaders that have ruled the country
GSS academic
Economic Policy: for over 60 years. Propaganda starts
higher education is
in nursery school and a large
inclusive of
Growth rates are proportion of the curriculum for all
universities where
high by OECD students—even at university—is
students learn for
standards, but dedicated to memorizing the
four to six years
lower than in the ‘history’ of the Kim family. State
depending on the
past, a danger for an media provides a constant stream of
course selected;
economy reliant on myths about the Kims and lauds the
Teachers’ College
expansion to solve sacrifices they supposedly make for
for primary school
social problems. the people. Millions of labor-hours
teachers which takes
With interest rates that could be used developing the
a total of three years
at a record low, a economy have to be spent idolizing
to complete; and
large stimulus the leaders instead.
junior colleges
package was passed
attended for three
in 2016. Pressure is No Religious Freedom
years. After
rising to reform Organized religion is seen as a
completing their
major potential threat to the regime and
studies at the
conglomerate- therefore nothing apart from token
university, students
dominated churches built as a facade of
can continue their
industries. religious freedom for foreign visitors
studies at the master
and doctoral level at are allowed. Thousands of Buddhists
General and Christians have been purged and
unemployment post-Doctoral persecuted throughout the history of
rates remain very learning institutions. North Korea. People caught
low and stable, but practicing or spreading religion in
North Korea has
the youth secret are punished extremely
three main
unemployment rate harshly, including by public
universities that
has risen. execution or being sent to political
students attend.
Precarious prison camps.
These are Koryo
employment
Sungkyunkwan
remains a concern, Chronic Food Shortages
University, Kin
and a new The regime’s refusal to effectively
Ch’aek Technical
employment law reform its failed agricultural policies,
University, and Kim
allowing combined with susceptibility to
II Sung University.
companies to lay adverse climate conditions (made
Most of the students
off worse by environmental
in the country go to
underperforming mismanagement), and an inability to
school at Kim II
workers drew purchase necessary agricultural
Sung University and
strong labor inputs or food imports mean that the
it is the only
opposition. North Korean people have faced
university that offers
food shortages ever since the 1990s.
most of the higher
Tax rates are low, Millions of malnourished children
education programs.
but debate over the and babies, pregnant women and
Students who are
need to rebalance nursing mothers bear the brunt of the
highly loyal to the
tax burdens has shortages today. This has left an
party and with a
intensified. Equity entire generation of North Koreans
desirable social class
is the system’s with stunted growth and a higher
are the only ones
primary weakness. susceptibility to health problems.
given a
Public debt is
recommendation by
moderate but
their instructors to “When I lived in North Korea, all I
rising. Some
progress to higher worried about was getting food.” -
municipalities have Joseph Kim
education. Students
pursued expanded
who do not get any
welfare policies Dismal Public Health
recommendation are
that were strongly The regime claims that it provides
supposed to work in
opposed, and in universal health care to its people. In
the mines and farms,
some cases reality, the majority of the public
or to join the
blocked, by the healthcare system collapsed in the
military.
Park government. 1990s, with only prioritized
R&D expenditure hospitals in areas such as Pyongyang
remain substantial. kept functioning. Elsewhere, health
South Korea
services and medicine are only
Pre-school (which is available to those that can afford it.
optional), is offered Ordinary North Koreans are
from age three, in therefore afflicted by easily
South Korea, with preventable or curable poverty-
compulsory
schooling from the
age of five or six. related diseases, such as tuberculosis
After primary and cataracts.
school, children
move onto middle Songbun Political Apartheid System
school, known as The North Korean regime has
Jung Haggyo, and invested an incredible amount of
then High School time and resources creating the
(Godeung Haggyo). songbun system, a form of political
Different areas of the apartheid that ascribes you with a
country have slightly level of perceived political loyalty
different systems, based on your family background.
including the Your particular songbun level (there
processes for are 51 of them) can then restrict your
allocating spots, life opportunities, including where
which might be by you can live, educational
lottery (especially in opportunities, Party membership,
large, densely military service, occupation, and
populated cities), or treatment by the criminal justice
through selective system. Any perceived political
testing. infractions by your family will lead
to your songbun being demoted.
Pre-School
"The North Korean society that has
sprouted from the ruins of the
Pre-school in South division of Korea and the Korean
Korea isn't War has not done away with class
compulsory, so if antagonisms. It has but established
you want your child new classes, new conditions of
to attend you have to oppression, new forms of struggle in
enrol directly with place of the old ones."
the school you have
chosen. Places are
available for children Political Prison Camps
aged between 3 and Five political prison camps hold an
5, with fees payable. estimated 80,000 to 120,000 people.
The cost of pre- Some of them are the size of cities,
school varies and they have existed five times as
enormously, and the long as the Nazi concentration camps
best schools are and twice as long as the Soviet
oversubscribed. Gulags. Many people imprisoned in
There are both these camps were not guilty of any
government run and crime, but were related to someone
private options, with who supposedly committed a
many private schools political crime. Often they have no
teaching in English idea what that crime was, and even
for families who children who are born in the camps
want their children to
have a head start in are raised as prisoners because their
the language. ‘blood is guilty’. Forced labor, brutal
beatings, and death are
commonplace. The regime denies
Primary School the existence of these camps, but
(Chodeung Haggyo) multiple survivor testimonies have
been corroborated by former guards
From the age of five as well as satellite images.
or six (depending on
space and a child’s Collective Punishment
ability), it’s In North Korea, if your relative is
compulsory to persecuted for “anti-state” or “anti-
attend primary socialist” crimes, then you and three
school in South generations of your family can be
Korea. This stage of punished for it. The aim is to remove
schooling is provided from society the whole family unit to
free of charge. If you prevent any dissent from emerging in
have a child of this the future, and also to deter martyrs
age, registered with who might sacrifice themselves for a
authorities, you’ll get political cause but would not want to
a letter automatically sacrifice their whole family.
telling you which
school your child Public Executions
should attend. You’ll The North Korean regime publicly
receive this letter executes citizens who have been
even if you're accused of a variety of crimes,
homeschooling, or including petty theft. Whole
have your child at a communities, including children, are
private school, and brought out to watch these
you’ll have to contact executions, which are designed to
the authorities to instill fear amongst the people of
explain the situation doing anything that could be seen as
if you don’t intend to against the regime’s wishes.
take up the place
offered. Refugee Crisis
The North Korean regime makes it
Primary school lasts illegal to leave the country without
for 6 grades, and the state permission, but every year
curriculum is broad, thousands of North Koreans still risk
covering basic skills, their lives to escape a combination of
physical education a lack of freedoms and economic
and languages. From hardship; in North Korea these are
the third grade, inextricably linked. If caught trying
English is taught an to escape, or if caught in China and
hour or two a week sent back, they are at risk of harsh
for all students. To punishments including brutal
attend school, your beatings, forced labor, forced
child must have had abortions, torture, and internment in
several vaccinations, a political prison camp. Those
which are offered suspected of having had contact with
free at medical South Koreans or Christians while in
centres. Teachers can China receive the most severe
check medical punishments.
records online to
make sure that this
has been done.
North Korean refugees’ well-
Wrap around care is founded fear of persecution if
usually on offer from repatriated means that they should be
early in the morning protected under international refugee
until late in the law. However, the Chinese
evening. Additional government prioritizes its political
before and after relationship with Pyongyang and
school care is does not recognize them as refugees.
charged for, although Instead they label them as “economic
some families are migrants” in an attempt to justify the
entitled to free forcible repatriation of thousands of
support if they're North Korean refugees every year.
lower earners and
both parents work.

Since coming to power, the Kim

Middle School (Jung Jong-un leadership has cooperated
Haggyo) with the Chinese authorities to
tighten border security. Recent
Middle school begins defectors have told us of increased
when students are physical border security, increased
around 12 years old, risk associated with bribing border
and lasts for three guards, and heightened punishments
years. Middle school for people trying to escape. As a
is free of charge in result, the number of refugees
South Korea, and managing to arrive in South Korea
covers both has decreased by almost half.
compulsory and
elective subjects.
Refugee Rescues
The curriculum at
this stage remains We rescue refugees without cost or
broad, covering condition, and ensure their safety
math, Korean and and dignity on their journey to
English languages, freedom.
social studies,
science, art and PE.
There are also ‘moral Refugee Exploitation
education’ classes. North Korean refugees in China live
in a precarious and sometimes
At this stage desperate situation. They fear harsh
schooling starts to punishment or even death if they are
intensify, with more caught and sent back to North Korea,
pressure on children but many do not have the resources
to get good grades. In or contacts to get themselves out of
areas where entry to China. Their illegal status forces
high school is done them to work in invisible industries
on an academic and leaves them vulnerable to
basis, the pressure is exploitation by unscrupulous
on to make sure that employers and sex traffickers, as
they can gain entry to they have no recourse to any
one of the more authorities.
prestigious schools.
Students are Sex Trafficking
streamed according Many North Korean women who
to their ability in escape North Korea become victims
many subjects, and of sex trafficking. China’s lack of
competition can be marriageable women, especially in
fierce. the rural areas of its Northeast
provinces, creates a demand for
North Korean women who are at risk
For the purpose of
of being forced to work in brothels or
entry exams into
online sex chatrooms, or are bought
higher secondary
and sold as wives. North Korean
education, the
women have been sold for as little as
student’s whole
a few hundred to a few thousands
middle school career
dollars in China.
is considered. This
takes the pressure off
the final exams "She shook her head and told me my
somewhat, but still only option was to be sold into
requirs children to marriage to a Chinese man..."
get consistently high
grades. No surprise Stateless Children
then, that at this stage Children born to North Korean
many students start refugee mothers and Chinese fathers
to have additional can face difficulties obtaining hukou
tuition outside of (household registration papers)
because of their mother’s illegal
class.
status. This can leave the children
stateless, recognized by neither the
Chinese or North Korean
governments, and denied basic rights
Secondary School such as access to education and other
state services. There are estimated to
(Godeung Haggyo)
be around 10,000 children born to
North Korean refugee mothers in
There are several China.
different options
for secondary South Korea
education in South 1. Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear threat
Korea. Students can
choose to go to a Moon, the son of refugees from
school which North Korea, favors engagement and
specialises in foreign cooperation with North Korea. On
language, arts or the campaign trail, Moon repeatedly
music, for example, stated he is open to negotiations with
although they'll face North Korea and willing to meet
stiff competition and Kim Jong-un. The nuclear issue is
have to take tests to now central to inter-Korean
enrol. Otherwise, relations. If Moon plans a “Sunshine
there are also general Policy 2.0” – a revival of dialogue
schools, in which and economic aid to North Korea –
admission is he’ll need to convince critics that
arranged according resuming economic cooperation will
to your home not fund Kim Jong-un’s nuclear
address. program.

2. Two important allies

At this stage,
education must be Caught between the U.S. and China,
paid for by parents - Moon will try to pursue an
although there are independent foreign policy.
some concessions for
lower earning Moon needs to manage the Trump
families. Included in administration’s conflicted approach
the cost of tuition areto the region. Trump has voiced the
school meals. This possibility of unilateral
level of education, actionagainst North Korea, but also
from around age 15 suggested that he would be honored
to 18, isn't
to meet Kim Jong-un. Trump
considered stressed the importance of the
compulsory in South alliance with South Korea, but also
Korea, although the said that South Korea should pay for
take up is high. the anti-missile THAAD system the
U.S. has deployed on South Korean
If students want to go soil. And, Trump has suggested that
to university, they the U.S.-Korea Free Trade
must take the College Agreement will be renegotiated.
Scholastic Ability
Test (CSAT), which Moon also has fences to mend with
is China, South Korea’s biggest trading
notoriously
difficult. It’s typical
partner. China has criticized the
to take extra tuition
deployment of THAAD as an act of
or go to a ‘cram aggression aimed at China and
school’ in order to retaliated economically by slowing
ensure good grades at
Chinese tourism to South Korea.
this stage. China accounts for US$131 billion
in South Korean export trade, while
the number of Chinese tourists
What’s the typical quadrupled to 8 million over the last
school calendar and five years, bringing in some $8
hours? billion in duty-free sales alone.

The school year in Trying to please both sides will be a

the Korean state diplomatic high wire act.
system is arranged
into semesters, Protesters celebrate the
although the exact impeachment of Park Geun-hye,
dates vary slightly March 11, 2017. REUTERS/Kim
according to the Kyung-Hoon
specific school 3. The struggling economy
preferences. The first The scandal that saw the former
semester typically president arrested on corruption
runs from March charges highlighted South Korea’s
through to mid July, dependence on huge family-owned
with a summer businesses, or “chaebol,” such as
vacation to follow. Samsung. Moon has promised to
Then from the end of revive the flagging
August you have the economy while curbing the
second semester, chaebols’ power. Even if Moon
which runs until a achieves this mammoth task, he will
break in the middle still have to tackle South Korea’s
of February. Schools rising youth unemployment and its
close for public overreliance on an export economy
holidays, and usually that made it vulnerable to economic
have a ‘half term’ retaliation.
break mid way
through each 4. Trust-building and
semester. constitutional reform

It’s worth noting that Moon painted himself as the antidote

this calendar applies to Park’s corrupt, authoritarian
to state schools only - administration. But that scandal is
in private and just the tip of the iceberg. The
international schools movement that brought millions into
the western standard the streets of Seoul wants political
calendar, with a long and institutional reform with greater
summer break and transparency and more popular
several weeks participation.
vacation at
Christmas, is far Moon must work to rebuilding trust
more likely to be between the people and the political
adopted. elite. Constitutional reform is needed
to end the country’s imperial
presidency and return power to the
What’s the cost of National Assembly. This is a key
education? step to bring people back into the
political process and give them an
There are fees effective voice.
charged for pre-
school and secondary
education under the
state system, as well
as additional costs
for uniforms,
transport and school
materials. If you
don't choose the state
system and decide to
find a private
international school,
the costs are also
high.

South Korea has

some 45
international schools,
mainly in the major
cities, teaching in
English and other
major world
languages, and often
using either the
International
Baccalaureate
syllabus, or a variant
of the United States
standard curriculum.
International schools
are generally of a
high standard, and
 therefore typically
competitive, with
testing and
interviews to secure
admission. You can
expect the fees to
vary widely
depending on the
specific school and
the programme they
offer. Fees of
anything from USD
15,000 to USD
30,000 a year aren't
uncommon.

Whichever route you

decide is best for
your family, there
will be costs
involved, and you
don’t want to pay
more than you have
too. If you’re funding
your child’s
education from your
account back home,
use Transferwise to
get the real exchange
rate and cut out
expensive
international bank
transfer fees.

Ref:

http://www.studycountry.com/guide/KP-education.htm

https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/south-korean-education-overview

https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/learn-nk-challenges/

https://theconversation.com/four-challenges-for-moon-jae-in-south-koreas-new-president-77422
http://countrystudies.us/north-korea/65.htm

https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/164671/2013042315572976.pdf