김정은 시대 북한 지리 교과서의 세계지리 내용구성 및 대외관 분석

Abstract

While the North Korean nuclear issue is being spotlighted around the world, the objective of this study is to understand the North Korean’s perception toward the external world by analyzing their geography textbooks revised on the early period of Jung Eun Kim’s regime. Research results were as follows. First, the world geography textbook for an inferior middle school-level covered nearby regions and countries. On the other hand, advanced middle school-level textbook covered regions and countries that are far distant, showing the classification in systematic composition of the context. Second, the contents of the texts generally were composed of natural environments in relationship to economic aspects. Ultimately, reflected in the world geography texts were the North Korean government’s interests in pursuing economic development. Third, the world geography contents revised during the early period of Jung Eun Kim included visual materials extensively in full colors. This shows Kim’s willingness to track the global trend in educational development perspective. Fourth, in the world geography textbook for the second grade in the advanced middlelevel school, the textbook expressed the images of 8 countries in radical ways depending on the friendly or hostile relationship with North Korea. In short, the world geography education in North Korea suggested a perspective in classifying various regions and countries into two, based on whether they are friendly or hostile to North Korea.