"North Korea Makes Russian a Mandatory School Subject... 96 Students Enroll in Russian Universities This Year"

Closer North Korea-Russia Ties Amid Ukraine War
Russian Minister: "Russian Language Education in North Korean Schools"
"About 100 North Korean Students Enrolled in Russian Universities"

North Korea has reportedly designated Russian as a mandatory subject in its schools. On the 27th (local time), Yonhap News Agency, citing TASS, reported that Alexander Kozlov, Minister of Natural Resources and co-chairman of the Russia-North Korea Intergovernmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, stated at a commission meeting held in Moscow that day, "I understand that Russian has been introduced as a compulsory language subject from the fourth grade in North Korean schools."

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who visited China last September to attend the 80th anniversary military parade of the Victory Day, held talks with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Minister Kozlov also said, "As of this year, more than 3,000 students in Russia are taking Korean language classes. Most of them study Korean as a second or third foreign language." However, it is unclear whether the Korean language he referred to specifically means the North Korean variant known as 'Munhwao.'

He further stated, "In North Korea, a Russian language education center is expected to open in 2026, based at Kim Chol Ju University of Education. The building is currently under construction." He added, "This year, 96 North Korean students enrolled in Russian universities, mainly choosing Far Eastern Federal University, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and Peoples' Friendship University of Russia."

Amid closer military ties since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, North Korea and Russia have also been strengthening cultural exchanges recently. Following the signing of a mutual defense treaty last year, North Korea dispatched a force of about 12,000 troops to the Russian front in Ukraine.

In July, regular direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang began operating. Last year, rail service on the Khasan-Tumangang route was resumed, and in May, a charter tourist train started running from Vladivostok to Rason. Flights between Pyongyang and Vladivostok are also in operation, and an automobile bridge connecting North Korea and Russia over the Tumen River is scheduled to be completed within two years.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on the 6th, 3,460 Russians entered North Korea in the third quarter of this year. NK News, a media outlet specializing in North Korea, explained, "The increase in Russian tourists is due to the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang in July."