Oum Hyun Suk
Center for Korean Unification Education in Seoul

Received May 15, 2017; Revised version received August 11, 2017; Accepted September 01, 2017

Abstract

This article examines the current status of North Korean teaching method according to the changes in the content deployment in textbooks which were published after Kim Jong-un assumed power. The author examined changes in the content deployment of first-year textbooks for elementary, middle and high schools which were published after Kim Jong-un took power and analyzed how such changes affected the teaching method. For this, the article reviewed periodical publications on North Korean education which were published around 2012 to examine the evaluation of the teacher`s group which is directly affected the supplementation of the teaching method. The study focused on the changes in content deployment in textbooks as such changes require assessment on whether they require direct changes to the teaching method. The outcome of the study can be summarized as the following. Firstly, changes in the content deployment methods of textbooks are made in various forms and approaches. Secondly, the way of describing contents has deviated from historical narrative.
The change of the teaching method is inevitable as the content deployment methods are transformed to enhance readability and to shift focus from knowledge transfer to activity-oriented manner. Moreover, British English education curriculum, teaching materials, teaching aids, and English the teaching method that came from outside helped to solve the thirst for new teaching method. However, it is not an easy task to change the teaching method for the vast majority of North Korean teachers who have not been exposed to the ‘global education development trend.’

Key Words : North Korea, North Korean teaching method, North Korean education method, Enlightening teaching method, North Korean textbooks