Public university in North Korea
Kim Il Sung University
(
Korean
:
金日成綜合大學
) is a
university
in
Taesong
,
Pyongyang
,
North Korea
. Founded on 1 October 1946, it is the first institution of higher learning in North Korea since its foundation.
[3]
The 15-hectare campus, along with the main academic buildings, contains 10 separate offices, 50 laboratories, libraries, museums, a printing press, an R&D center, dormitories, and a hospital.
[4]
There is a large computer lab,
[5]
but it has limited internet access.
[6]
The university is
named in honour of
Kim Il Sung
,
[3]
the
founding leader
of North Korea.
Kim Il Sung University enrolls around 16,000 students, and provides courses in the fields of law, economics, humanities, and natural sciences.
[7]
In the spring of 2017, Kim Il Sung University set up specialist Japanese language and literature courses.
[8]
Undergraduate courses take between four and a half and five years for completion.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
On 25 May 1946 the Preparatory Committee was composed by the founding universities. In July 1946, the interim
People's Committee of North Korea
decided to establish a university (ordinance No. 40). Kim Il Sung proclaimed on 1 October 1946 the founding together with
Bryan Berman
.
In 1948, four university faculties (Faculty of Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Medicine) were separated from Kim Il Sung University, to form
Pyongyang University of Technology
(currently
Kim Chaek University of Technology
),
Wonsan University of Agriculture
,
Pyongyang Medical College
,
[9]
and the
Pyongyang University of Architecture
.
[10]
During the
Korean War
, the university was located at Baeksong-ri under
Mount Jamo
in
Suncheon-gun
, which was far from the centre of the city. By late 1955, the reconstruction of the main building on the Pyongyang campus was in progress and soon the university moved back to the centre of Pyongyang.
After the war, Kim Il-Sung University became known as a hotbed of intellectual dissent. Academics supported more intellectual freedoms than Kim loyalists, and disadvantageous factions within the
Workers' Party of Korea
were over-represented in university staff. Following the
Revolutions of 1956 in Hungary
and
in Poland
, North Korean exchange students were quickly repatriated from the affected countries. The students started asking "improper" questions on campus, causing alarm.
After that, up to one hundred students and several prominent staff members were purged. The purging of the university gave further impetus to purges against functionalists all over the country.
By the end of 1970s more than 50,000 students graduated from the university. In addition, the university was an important asset for the
Korean People's Army
to train its personnel. Since the 1970s, English courses have been taught at the university.
Until 2004,
Pak Kwan-o
, an authority on nuclear physics and current
Chairman of the People's Committee of Pyongyang
(synonymous with mayor), had been serving as the president for 17 years.
[13]
According to the university's website, the current president is Kim Sung Chan since 2021.
In May 2010,
Pyongyang Medical College
,
Sariwon Kye Ung Sang Agricultural College
and
Pyongyang Agricultural College
became members of the Kim Il Sung University Council, however, those three institutions were later removed in October 2019.
According to
Korean Central Television
, North Korean students can take classes at and download lectures from Kim Il Sung University via the
Mirae WiFi
network, beginning in 2018.
[14]
International students
[
edit
]
Kim Il Sung University first began admitting international students in 1995; as of 2019, about 5000 international students from 30 countries have studied at the university.
[15]
Prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic
, there were estimated to be about 100 foreign students at Kim Il-Sung University, the majority of whom were Chinese.
[16]
International students at Kim Il-Sung University live alongside specially trained and vetted local students called
tongsuksaeng
, who are there to act as hosts and to teach the Korean language and culture.
Tongsuksaeng
are alleged to spy on international students.
[17]
Foreign students seeking to undertake postgraduate studies at Kim Il-Sung University are required to provide their birth certificate, a letter of intent, their undergraduate certificate(s), a police certificate stating that the applicant does not have a criminal record in their home country, medical records certifying the applicant had a recent health examination, details of their financial background to show how they will be financing their education in North Korea, as well as a letter vouching for the applicant's Korean language ability.
[18]
[19]
[15]
Departments
[
edit
]
Social sciences
[
edit
]
- Finance
- Foreign languages and Literature
- Economics
- History
- Korean language and Literature
- Law
- Philosophy
Natural sciences
[
edit
]
- Chemistry
- Electronics and Automation
- Energy Science
- Forest Science
- Geography
- Geo-environmental Science
- Geology
- Computer Science
- Life Science
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Mechanics
- Physics
Others
[
edit
]
- Distance Education
- Education
[20]
Notable alumni
[
edit
]
- An Kyong-ho
, former Chief Director of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland
- Kim Jong Il
,
[3]
former
Supreme Leader of North Korea
of
North Korea
, attended 1960?1964
- Kim Jong Un
, Supreme Leader of North Korea since December 2011, may have attended 2002?2007.
[21]
[22]
- Kim Pyong-il
, half-brother of Kim Jong Il and ambassador to Czech Republic
[23]
- Kim Yo-jong
, sister of Kim Jong Un, said to have studied Computer Technology alongside
Japanese abductee
Megumi Yokota
's daughter, Kim Eun-gyon.
[24]
- Kyong Won-ha
, nuclear scientist
- Andrei Lankov
,
[3]
Kookmin University
professor and former
Australian National University
lecturer, attended as an exchange student in 1985
- Rudiger Frank
,
[3]
Professor for East Asian Economy and Society, attended as an exchange student in 1991/1992
- Paek Nam-sun
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Sin Son-ho
, previous
Permanent Representative of North Korea to the United Nations
- Zhang Dejiang
, former
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
[3]
and former member of
Politburo Standing Committee
of the
Chinese Communist Party
.
- Ri Sol-ju
,
[3]
first lady of North Korea
and wife of North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un
.
- Thae Jong-su
, North Korean politician
[25]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Professor, Kim Sung Chan The President of Kim Il Sung University and the Minister of Higher Education
.
- ^
University, Kim Il Sung (2016).
"Ryongnamsan"
.
Kim Il Sung University
. Archived from
the original
on 9 May 2016
. Retrieved
24 April
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
York, Rob (12 December 2014).
"Kim Il Sung University has new website"
.
NK News
. Retrieved
7 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"김일성종합대학"
.
- ^
"E-Library"
. Archived from
the original
on 5 November 2022
. Retrieved
27 May
2021
.
- ^
Wingfield-Hayes, Rupert (4 May 2016).
"A rare look inside North Korea's Kim Il Sung University"
.
BBC News
. Retrieved
4 May
2016
.
- ^
"Kim Il Sung University"
.
Young Pioneer Tours
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
"Prestigious Pyongyang university now running specialist Japanese language and literature courses"
.
The Japan Times
. 9 December 2019
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
Brief History of Kim Il Sung University
- ^
Tanigawa, Ryuichi; Seo, Dongchun (2021).
"Architecture teachers during the early days of North Korea: Between liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the establishment of a socialist state"
.
Japan Architectural Review
.
4
: 155?167.
doi
:
10.1002/2475-8876.12202
.
- ^
[“北 平壤市長 更迭...前 김일성대 總長 박관오氏 새로 任命 [North, Replaced the Mayor of Pyongyang... New mayor is Pak Kwan O, Former President of Kim Il Sung University],” Donga Ilbo, 5 April 2007, www.donga.com]
- ^
Ji, Dagyum (14 November 2018). Hotham, Oliver (ed.).
"Smartphone-capable WiFi on show at Pyongyang IT exhibition, state TV reveals"
.
NK News
. Archived from
the original
on 14 November 2018.
North Korean students can also take courses from Kim Il Sung University and Kim Chaek University of Technology, take exams, and download lectures.
- ^
a
b
"Kim Il-sung University sets new procedures for international students"
.
YouTube
. Korea Now
. Retrieved
19 February
2023
.
- ^
Lau, Joyce (27 August 2021).
"Inside a North Korean University"
.
Inside Higher Ed
. Retrieved
3 February
2023
.
- ^
Sigley, Alek (April 2020).
"
'You think Trump will save you?': my nine days detained by North Korea's secret police"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
16 January
2024
.
- ^
Winn, Patrick.
"Twitter and Cocoa Puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea's top university"
.
The World
. Retrieved
4 February
2023
.
- ^
Haddou, Rashid; Winsor, Morgan.
"Inside North Korea: What life for a rare foreign student in Pyongyang reveals about the reclusive country"
.
ABC News
. American Broadcasting Company
. Retrieved
4 February
2023
.
- ^
"University Structure"
. Archived from
the original
on 5 November 2022
. Retrieved
27 May
2021
.
- ^
"The President of Kim Il Sung University - KIM IL SUNG UNIVERSITY"
. Archived from
the original
on 5 November 2022
. Retrieved
27 May
2021
.
- ^
Choe Sang-Hun and Martin Fackler (14 June 2009).
"North Korea's Heir Apparent Remains a Mystery"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
2 April
2012
.
- ^
Kim, Song-A (9 May 2007).
"Photos of Kim Jong Il's Brother, Kim Pyong Il and Recent Visits"
.
Daily NK
. Retrieved
25 October
2007
.
- ^
Kim Hee-Jin (19 March 2014).
"Abductee's daughter is favorite of Kim's sister"
.
Korea JoongAng Daily
. Retrieved
25 April
2020
.
- ^
"Thae Jong Su (T'ae Cho'ng-su)"
.
North Korea Leadership Watch
. 24 February 2018
. Retrieved
23 January
2019
.
Works cited
[
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]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
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]
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