What if your teenage years were dominated by military drills, farming labor, and endless praise for leaders you’d never met? For North Korean high school students, this is not a ‘what if’—it’s reality.
From mastering the complexities of missile physics to memorizing the minutiae of the Kim family’s biographies, North Korean students endure an educational system that demands absolute loyalty and sacrifices their youth for the regime’s ideological aims.
So, what does a typical school curriculum look like for a North Korean student? Why does physics share almost as much importance as political history? And how do students cope with such extreme expectations?
Let’s dive into the rarely seen world of North Korean high school education and uncover the shocking realities hidden behind the classroom doors.
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| North Korean high school curriculum table |
The table outlines the detailed educational content and timeframe allocation for each subject across the three years of high school education.
| No. | Subject | Total Hours | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revolutionary History of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung | 160 | 3 (104) | 2 | |
| 2 | Revolutionary History of the Great Leader Kim Jong Il | 148 | 2 | 4 | |
| 3 | Revolutionary History of the Anti-Japanese Heroine Kim Jong Suk | 42 | 1/2 | ||
| 4 | Revolutionary History of the Respected Leader Kim Jong Un | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Current Party Policies | 88 | 1 week (20) | 1 week | 1 week |
| 6 | Socialist Morality and Law | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Psychology and Logic | 34 | 1 week | ||
| 8 | Korean Language and Literature | 215 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Classical Chinese | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | English | 243 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | History | 104 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | Geography | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Mathematics | 368 | 5 | 5/4 | 4 |
| 14 | Physics | 331 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 15 | Chemistry | 248 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 16 | Biology | 220 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 17 | Physical Education | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Arts | 81 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Information Technology | 111 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | Basic Technical Skills | 272 | 2 weeks | 3 weeks | 3 weeks |
| 21 | Industrial (or Agricultural) Basics | 92 | 4 | ||
| 22 | Military Activities Fundamentals | 96 | 1 week (48) | 1 week (48) |
- Regular Class Hours per Week: 34 (All Grades)
- Total Teaching Hours by Year:
- Year 1: 1,122 hours
- Year 2: 1,136 hours
- Year 3: 1,000 hours
Extracurricular Activities:
- Out of school Studies: 465 hours (5 weeks each year)
- Youth League Activities: 372 hours (4 weeks each year)
- Physical Training: 243 hours (3 weeks each year)
Additional Guideline:
The basic courses conducted according to the weekly class hours should be organized to not exceed six hours per day, and only four hours should be conducted on Saturdays.
While it is standard to conduct courses according to the set weekly class hours, classes can be arranged consecutively based on the course content and students' comprehension levels. In such cases, care should be taken to ensure that the total class hours for each subject do not exceed or fall short for the semester.
The course “Current Party Policies” should be taught regardless of the semester, following the provided study guidelines based on the works of Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.
In the subject “Physical Education,” swimming should be conducted in coordination with the Youth League Organization for at least one week per grade level during the Marine Sports Month of July to August as part of extracurricular activities.
The subject “Information Technology” can be taught intensively in several hours, a single day, or over several days, depending on the available educational conditions.
The subject “Industrial (or Agricultural) Basics” should be set as “Industrial Basics” for schools in urban and industrial areas and “Agricultural Basics” for schools in rural areas, according to regional characteristics.
The specific basic technical contents, such as machinery, metalwork, mining, fishing, forestry, agriculture, and livestock, which correspond to the characteristics of each region and area, should be formulated by the district and county teacher retraining centers and approved by the Department of Education in the People’s Committee before being distributed to schools.
Schools that train vehicle drivers should replace the 3rd-year “Basic Technical Subjects” and “Industrial (or Agricultural) Basics” with the course “Automobile (Tractor).”
The subject “Military Activities Fundamentals” should be taught through Red Youth Guard training in the 2nd year, and in the 3rd year, basic military training skills should be developed through outdoor camping activities conducted for one day.
Extracurricular activities should be organized and carried out as follows:
∘ Extracurricular study: Conducted for one hour per day (excluding Saturdays) along with the main courses.
∘ Youth League Activities: Should include activities organized by the Youth League, such as studying and emulating the Baekdu Mountain Great Persons, and engaging in socio-political activities.
∘ Extracurricular physical activities: Should be primarily conducted on days when no physical education classes are scheduled.
Key Takeaways from North Korean High School Education:
The Tiresome Ideological Indoctrination Education:
Students are required to study the revolutionary histories of four individuals: Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, and Kim Jong Suk (Kim Jong Un’s grandmother).
These subjects are considered core in the curriculum, and poor performance in them results in criticism from both students and teachers, unlike other subjects.
The total hours dedicated to these revolutionary history subjects amount to 431, making them the most time-consuming subjects in the curriculum.
As Kim Jong Un’s activities increase, so does the content that students need to study.
When adding the 88 hours for the "Current Party Policies" subject, it highlights how North Korea’s ideological indoctrination has intensified.
The "Current Party Policies" subject did not exist prior to 2013; high school students were not previously required to study Party policies.
Increase in Natural Science Study Time:
Time allocated to natural science subjects has increased compared to before 2013.
While mathematics has always been a core subject, subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology have gained more emphasis.
The number of hours for physics nearly matches that of mathematics, likely reflecting Kim Jong Un’s focus on nuclear and missile development.
The biggest challenge for students is the lack of proper science laboratories and equipment in schools.
Even at elite schools like the Pyongyang Foreign Language School and Kumsung School, students rarely had opportunities for hands-on experiments.
Based on my experience, chemistry experiments were only conducted twice, biology experiments 2-3 times, and there were no physics experiments at all due to a lack of equipment.
Newly Added Subjects:
Newly introduced subjects are likely "Information Technology" and "Basic Technical Skills."
While information technology was taught sporadically before 2013, the regime has now significantly increased teaching hours in this field.
The "Basic Technical Skills" subject primarily focuses on engineering related to electronic devices and everyday appliances.
Such courses did not exist before 2013.
These subjects are practical and could be useful for daily life or training technicians to repair appliances.
Military Activities and Industrial (or Agricultural) Basics:
These subjects are more like field training rather than traditional classroom lessons.
High school students participate in a week-long military training called "Red Youth Guard Training" at the ages of 15 and 16, where they experience the daily routines and training of soldiers.
On the last day, they get to practice shooting.
Every spring and autumn, high school students are mobilized to support farming activities, with groups of 3-4 students staying at farmers' homes to assist with agricultural work from morning to evening.
Despite the hard labor, students prefer it because it provides a break from daily academic stress and the constant control of the regime.
During this time, many students experience physical growth spurts. I personal grew 7 cm in one month, and a friend grew 5 cm.
This forced practical training, although compulsory, has beneficial aspects, providing students with hands-on experience and an understanding of the difficulties of farming.
The Hellish Extracurricular Activities Not Mentioned in This Curriculum:
There is a grueling extracurricular activity for students—forced mobilization for state projects.
For events like the "Arirang Mass Games," countless elementary, middle, and high school students are mobilized for months of practice and performances, serving the regime’s propaganda and earning foreign currency.
Except for a few special schools, almost all students are required to participate in these national projects.
Each school also has its own mandatory extracurricular activities, such as:
Campus beautification
Collecting waste paper and scrap metal
Sponsoring school equipment
These hidden hardships are not officially documented but add to the burdens of students.
Overall, the North Korean high school curriculum is a blend of intensive ideological training, practical skill development, and military preparation, aimed at shaping students into loyal, technically capable, and physically prepared citizens who can serve the state’s needs. The educational approach is highly structured, centralized, and adapted to local conditions, making it a key tool for maintaining regime stability and control.
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