Peer-reviewed article
Portrayal of North Korean language textbooks under Kim Jong Un
Dong Bae Lee ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This book chapter analyses eight North Korean elementary Korean language textbooks from the Kim Jong Un era. It uses critical discourse analysis and narrative inquiry to show how the books present the Supreme Leader as a paternal figure. Stories encourage children to see obedience as a moral duty and study as repayment for the leader's kindness. The textbooks also present education as a privilege granted by the leader, not a right. They also reinforce nationalism and anti-American sentiment.
Key points
- The textbooks deify Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong Un as paternal figures whose sacrifices secure national strength and personal well-being.
- First-person narratives frame obedience as a moral duty and diligent study as repayment for the leader's benevolence.
- Stories such as Hyang-rim's self-sacrifice to protect the leaders' portraits normalise devotion and selflessness.
- Education is framed as a privilege granted by the leader, not as a right.
- Americans and Christian missionaries are depicted as hostile invaders, and military service is presented as honourable and expected.
Limitations
The document is based on analysis of eight textbooks and does not say how children actually receive or are affected by these messages. It does not measure outcomes for children's well-being.
Abstract
This chapter examines North Korean elementary school textbooks as ideological instruments that cultivate emotional loyalty and political obedience to the Supreme Leader. Through critical discourse analysis and narrative inquiry, it analyses eight Korean language textbooks from the Kim Jong Un era, revealing how authoritarian values are embedded from early childhood. At the core of the curriculum is the deification of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong Un, portrayed as paternal figures whose sacrifices secure national strength and personal well-being. Emotionally charged first-person narratives encourage students to see obedience as a moral duty and diligent study as repayment for the leader’s benevolence, fostering intergenerational loyalty. As one example, the glorification of Hyang-rim’s self-sacrifice to protect the leaders’ portraits shows how devotion and selflessness are normalised. Such narratives align personal identity with state interests, presenting military service as both honourable and expected. In another example, Geum-sun’s claim that Kim Il-sung was “both a dear father and the foundation of her spirit” illustrates Bulgeungi-sasang (Red flag) ideology, which equates the leader’s authority with parental love and life itself. This ritualised emotional attachment helps secure the regime’s political legitimacy. Education is framed not as a right but a privilege granted by the leader. Historical trauma under Japanese colonialism is contrasted with current prosperity to legitimise the regime. Anti-American sentiment is reinforced through depictions of Americans and Christian missionaries as hostile invaders. Ultimately, the textbooks construct political subjectivity by fusing civic identity with personal devotion to the leader, reinforcing nationalism, legitimising authority, and portraying loyalty as both virtuous and essential.