North Korea has boasted that its child and education policies are superior to those of major developed nations. This move is seen as a response to the United Nations’ recent adoption of a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 21st consecutive year.
Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the Workers’ Party, published an article on Wednesday titled “The Reality Only Found in Our Socialist Motherland, Under the Care of the Workers’ Party.” The piece claimed that today’s world is growing increasingly indifferent to future generations. It asserted that in capitalist countries, love and concern for the next generation are dwindling, with countless children falling victim to flawed social systems, extreme human hatred, and various forms of crime and abuse.
The paper cited examples of child abuse abroad. It claimed that many children in the United States endure hardships and abuse from an early age. In Japan, it referenced a case in which a mother allegedly assaulted her 2-year-old child, resulting in the child’s death. It also asserted that in the United Kingdom, even in schools known for high educational standards, only 6.5 percent of students engage in meaningful study. The article further pointed to the high number of child casualties in the Gaza conflict.
The newspaper highlighted Kim Jong Un’s prioritization of student uniforms during a party plenary meeting in December 2021, framing it as a prime example of his devotion to future generations. It claimed that Kim dedicated significant time to instructing officials and reviewing new uniform designs for different grades and genders. This emphasis aims to portray their system as superior, with the supreme leader personally overseeing policies that affect future generations.
The article went on to say that, in the regime’s view, all students in the country are becoming reliable pillars of a strong North Korea under the guidance of what it described as a great and benevolent leader, and that they are supposedly growing up surrounded by bright smiles and endless happiness. It further argued that, according to the leadership, the more difficult the situation becomes, the more effort should be devoted to future generations, pushing forward toward what it called a communist future powered by that love.
On November 19, the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee adopted a resolution on North Korean human rights. This resolution urges North Korean authorities to address various human rights issues, including the immediate closure of political prison camps, ending torture, abolishing forced labor, stopping the exploitation of overseas workers, and prohibiting the forced repatriation of defectors.
North Korea has historically rejected international criticism of its human rights record, viewing such actions as attempts to undermine its regime and insult its supreme leadership. When a similar resolution passed last year, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry condemned it as a serious political provocation that infringed on national dignity and sovereignty.
