North Korean School Uniform



Figure 1.-- Here we see a boy and girl wearing their school uniforms for some kind of theatrical production. This photgraph was taken in the early 2000s. The children wear coordinated blue and white uniforms.

South and North Korea shared the same history until the Japanese defeat in World War II. As agreed previously, the Soviets occupied Korea north of the 38th paralell and the Americans to the south. The Soviets installed a Communist dictatorship in the north which coninues today. Education in South Korea is unlike that in any other country. Images available from the early 2000s show coordinted white and blue uniforms for boys and girls. Here we see a boy and girl wearing their school uniforms for some kind of theatrical production (figure 1). This photgraph was taken in the early 2000s. We have no chroological information at this time. Nor do we know if there were any differences between primary and secondary schools. We also do not know how widely these uniforms are worn. Wedo not know for ecample if the uniforms were worn just by a few prestige schools in Pyongang or if children throughout Korea were issued similar uniforms.

Korean History

South and North Korea shared the same history until the Japanese defeat in World War II. As agreed previously, the Soviets occupied Korea north of the 38th paralell and the Americans to the south. The Soviets installed a Communist dictatorship in the north which coninues today.

North Koran Education

Numerous dictatorships in the 20th century used the schools politically to support the regime. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Hirohito, and Mao used the schools to create a cult of leadership. Of course all societies use the school to support existing social institutions. These dictators used the schools to support them personally and their polituical regime to the exlusion of all disenting views. This is of course also going on in North Korean schools. There are, however, some differences with North Korean education. North Korean schools are not just promoting Communist ideology, in fact Communism often takes a back seat to the central focus which is adulation of the Korean leader and a family dynasty. Another destinctive feature is the volume of propaganda aimed at the children. School studies are centered on the biographies of Kim Il-sung (the Great Leader") Kim Jong-il (The Dear Leader). The books studies should not be considered biolgraphies in the common sence, but more like " fairy tales where the Great Leaders are presented as the embodiment of wisdom, courage and benevolence". [Lankov] One observer describes his observations in the 1980s, " Back in the 1980s, I had the opportunity to visit a couple of showcase North Korean kindergartens. Both boasted a special room for these ``biographical'' studies, with a large relief model of Mangyongdae, the native village of Kim Il-sung, placed in the centre. Before the lesson started, all the children along with their teacher made three full bows to Kim Il-sung's portrait chanting the words: 'Thank you, Marshal-Father!' And with this charming ritual, the lesson commenced. One after another, the children were summoned by the teacher to approach the model. In childish voices, but doing their best to affect an `adult' intonation, they would recite various episodes from the Great Leader's childhood: `Here the Father-Leader played war games preparing himself for combat against the Japanese imperialists,' or ``Here the Father-Leader trained himself by playing sports.' The unfortunate children are required to speak with the aggressive pathos which is common in North Korean radio broadcasts, using `adult' expressions and idiom. The children are reminded that it is only thanks to the Kim dynasty that they are able to enjoy their ``happy childhood.'' Even the food they eat is proof of the benevolence of the Great Leader, so after every meal, all children have to thank the Leader for his care for them, chanting: ``Great Leader, thank you very much, we ate well!" [Lankov] This is only the beginning of their education. In addition to indoctrination classes, every subject the children study is infused with political content. Agood example is a question in a math textbook: "Three soldiers from the Korean People's Army killed 30 American soldiers. How many American soldiers were killed by each of them, if they all killed an equal number of enemy soldiers?" Another typical question: "The Great Leader-Father Kim Il-sung was, as a child, once given nine apples. He gave three to his grandfather, two to his grandmother, one to his father and one to his mother. How many apples did he give away and how many did he keep for himself?"[Lankov]

School Uniforms

Images available from the early 2000s show coordinted white and blue uniforms for boys and girls. Here we see a boy and girl wearing their school uniforms for some kind of theatrical production (figure 1). The uniforms are worn with the obligatory red scarfe. The boy wears a white shirt and blue pants. The girl weas a white blouse with a wide collar with a suspender skirt. This photgraph was taken in the early 2000s. We have no chroological information at this time. Nor do we know if there were any differences between primary and secondary schools. We also do not know how widely these uniforms are worn. We do not know for ecample if the uniforms were worn just by a few prestige schools in Pyongang or if children throughout Korea were issued similar uniforms.

Sources

Lankov, Andrei. "Education Centered on Kims" Korea Times May 11, 2004.






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Created: 4:44 PM 9/4/2004
Last updated: 4:45 PM 9/4/2004