korean unification studies

In the western media there is a lot of information on the big issues relating to Korean unification – the Six Party Talks, the Leaders’ Summit, North Korean nuclear programs and the division of long separated families. People even know a bit about how South Korean attitudes have changed towards the North, and even how Chinese, Russian, Japanese and US policy relate to Korean unification…

But very few are aware of the significant programs of childhood education that the South Korean Government and several civic groups are implementing to influence future attitudes towards unification.

The Ministry of Unification has a ‘cyber education’ portal for teachers and students that seeks to provide class materials, online aids and other resources based on materials prepared at the national level. The Ministry of Unification also supports the www.tongiledu.net site, which provides information and activities direct to kids themselves. The Ministry of Unification also funded several courses and programs through the Institute for Political Education for Unification.

As a result, there are many graduate schools and regular universities that offer education courses for teachers and students. Perhaps the most reputable is at the University of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University. It has run short course programs for teachers of elementary and middle schools to enable them to be better prepared for the substantial increase in subject matter that they must deal with. The short programs have gone even further to prepare teachers to be “the first teachers to deal with the education system after unification “.

The course included 63 hours of instruction covering topics such as unification debates, contemporary North-South relations, the North Korean school system and curriculum, and the nature of education after unification.

Finally there are also many, many civic groups that have put an effort into preparing the next generation for unification. Some of these are well researched, well prepared programs – other are just blatant and unscrupulous propaganda – on both sides of the political spectrum, left and right.

Much has been learned about the challenges that Korea will face based on German unification. However, the two situations are very different. Using the German example as justification to push certain political prerogatives on the next generation is abhorrent.

Clearly such programs are essential in preparing society for the possibility of unification. Unfortunately, such efforts are also able to be easily abused or discredited. Such is the nature of childhood education.