Political socialization of middle school students in North Korea : a focus on the personality cult of leaders

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This thesis analyzes the political socialization of North Korean middle school students, including the middle school education system and its curriculum, based on the personality cult (or idolization) of North Korean leaders. This study is the first to examine political socialization at the North Korean middle school level.
The thesis assumes that the personality cult in middle schools is important, as the middle school education of North Korean teens becomes the basis for their political orientations as adults. The personality cult of North Korean leaders is analyzed through political socialization and a curriculum designed to control everything being taught at the schools in all grades. Specific daily activities and curricula are designed to idolize the leader who dominates society and to induce complete loyalty in the youngsters.
The majority of previous studies on North Korean middle school idolization analyzed only North Korean textbooks. Unlike previous studies, this study includes students’ idolization activities along with textbook analysis to examine the subject in a broader manner. Thus, idolization within regular school curricula and extracurricular activities is explained.
This thesis is divided into three major parts: analysis view, idolization education content and idolization activities. The analysis view discusses the point of view used to analyze idolization education in middle schools. It is deemed that North Korean idolization education (in which students learn leaders’ legendary achievements and participate in diverse idolization activities)is the core of political socialization. The portion on middle school idolization education includes a detailed examination of textbook content and in-depth face-to-face interviews with North Korean defectors.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1
• Ⅰ. Research Purpose 1
• Ⅱ. Literature Review 6
• Ⅲ. Research Methods 9
• Chapter 2 Political Socialization in Socialist States 13
• Ⅰ. Concept of political socialization 13
• Ⅱ. Political Socialization in Socialist States: Cases of the USSR and China 16
• Chapter 3 Cult of Personality in North Korean Middle School 22
• Ⅰ. North Korean political socialization: Educational goal and system of ideology 22
• Ⅱ. Secondary School Idolization Textbooks 26
• Ⅲ. Cult Education through Organization (Group) Life 46
• Chapter 4 Defector Case Analysis on Idolization Education 53
• Ⅰ. School Activity 54
• Ⅱ. Boy Scouts and the Kim Il-Sung Socialist Youth League (KSYL) 57
• Chapter 5 Conclusion 64
• References 68
• Annex I Textbook Index of Revolutionary Activities and Revolutionary History 73