Russian becomes mandatory in North Korean schools

Russian has become a compulsory subject from the fourth grade in North Korean schools, Russian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Alexander Kozlov said.

In his welcome remarks at the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, Kozlov — the co-chair of the Russia–North Korea intergovernmental commission — noted that more than three thousand Russian schoolchildren are currently studying Korean, mostly as a second or third foreign language, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

He added that the two countries are actively cooperating on supplementary education in specific fields, with training programs for bankers, energy specialists, medical workers, and geologists.

The minister also announced that a Russian-language Open Education Center will begin operating next year in North Korea at Kim Chol Ju University of Education, with construction of the facility now underway.

In addition, this year marked the first-ever Russia–North Korea rectors’ forum, held on May 21 in Vladivostok at the Far Eastern Federal University.

The bond between Russia (previously the Soviet Union) and North Korea dates back to the aftermath of World War II, when the Soviet Union helped establish the young state, backed its government, and later provided military support during the 1950–1953 Korean War.

During the Cold War, the two countries signed a “Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance,” formalising their alliance.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, relations cooled, and trade collapsed. In the early 2000s, the countries renewed diplomatic ties: in 2000, they signed a new treaty on cooperation, re-establishing legal frameworks for trade, economic, technical, and cultural collaboration.

Since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, ties have deepened substantially. The two countries signed a new Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2024, including a mutual-assistance defence clause and expanding cooperation across military, economic, scientific, and cultural domains.

By Jeyhun Aghazada