In the recent education on South-North unification, to understand North Korea has been emphasized. To get accurate knowledge of the North Korea is important to help to make mutual cooperation between North and South.
On the basis of this point, the ...
In the recent education on South-North unification, to understand North Korea has been emphasized. To get accurate knowledge of the North Korea is important to help to make mutual cooperation between North and South.
On the basis of this point, the purpose of this research was to search for the further direction of the unification education. To achieve this purpose, I was investigate the consciousness for unification of teenagers who will take major roles in unification of South and North, and the understanding level of basic knowledge about North Korea. This paper also figured out how the objective understanding affects the formation of the consciousness for unification realistically.
570 middle school students were sampled from four schools and were asked to a questionnaire. And total 537 questionnaires were selected finally for this analysis. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 12.0 program and the results of the study were described using frequency analysis, Chi-square Test, T-Test and One-way ANOVA.
The results of this research can be summarized as follows:
First, most students had a little knowledge about North Korea and they had acquired knowledge of North Korea mostly from mass media like TV and newspaper.
Second, the willingness of students toward the unification was positive based on economic benefit of unification in a general way. And meanwhile, many of them also denied the unification or adapted themselves to divided state system. Students perception of social distance to the North Korean showed a medium level in a general way. Also results from analysis revealed that a large number of students thought that North and South are compatriots, but different state.
Third, results from the survey of the students whose knowledge about North Korea were abundant revealed that their willingness toward unification were strong based on economic benefit. However, they felt farther social distance to the North Korean.
This results tell us that knowledge about North Korea may rather deepen the difference between South and North and put emphasis merely on understanding of North Korea without putting focus on resolution of such a difference. It would only increase the psychological burden of distance perception toward North Korean, so then it may act as an obstacle in the way to accomplish inner unification.
Therefore, for further unification education, first of all things, it shall be required to reinforce education to understand North Korea in a systematic way centering on schools so as to improve knowledge about North Korea in general. The education to promote understanding of North Korea should not be aimed to quantitative expansion of knowledge, but it must be composed of the contents focusing on resolution of difference between South and North. Also it should comprise a unification education program putting emphasis on variety of hands-on experiences. To revitalize affiliation program involving with the youth escaping from North Korea, or South-North youth exchange program, or virtual reality hands-on program, etcetera shall be helpful for the young people to enhance their intimacy toward the North Korean and to promote mutual understanding in their hearts.