North Korea cuts English classes, expands Russian at foreign language schools

North Korea’s Ministry of Education recently mandated a change in foreign language instruction at schools across the country. The directive instructs schools to reduce English classes and broaden Russian language offerings. This decision comes amid escalating diplomatic ties between North Korea and Russia, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In the Ryanggang province, a foreign language school plans to restructure its curriculum starting October 1, converting some first-year English courses to Russian, according to a source in the area. The broader shift towards Russian instruction is set to commence in 2027, with Russian majors slated for students entering higher education in that year.

Despite maintaining English as a secondary foreign language, the ministry aims to cultivate multilingual speakers. This move may also be strategic, as it prepares students for professional roles that require Russian language proficiency, given the growing North Korea-Russia economic, social, and cultural cooperation. The shift, however, has raised concerns among parents in Ryanggang province, who worry about the practicality of Russian in daily life compared to Chinese.

As Chinese is more widely used in the region, many parents fear that their children may face disadvantages if they are assigned to Russian classes. Some parents have even considered withdrawing their children from foreign language schools in favor of regular schools. Russian language education has been in decline in North Korea since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, with many schools no longer offering Russian courses.

Despite this, the relationship between North Korea and Russia continues to strengthen, prompting speculation that the push for Russian education may extend beyond specialized schools to general education as well.