▲ This Korean Central News Agency image shows a ceremony marking the new school year on April 1, 2025, at a school in North Korea. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-education

N. Korea begins new school year on 1st day of April

SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea began a new school year nationwide Wednesday, with North Korean media reporting that leader Kim Jong-un gifted school supplies to students.

North Korea typically starts the new school year on April 1, nearly a month later than schools in South Korea.

The Rodong Sinmun, published by the ruling Workers' Party Korea, reported stationery and school supplies had been distributed to some students ahead of the school opening, including pencils, erasers, crayons and art supplies.

Around 1,000 schools across the country improved their educational and living conditions during the winter vacation in the run-up to the new school term, the newspaper said.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency also reported that leader Kim gifted stationery goods to students in island towns and schools nationwide to mark the new school year.

North Korea has a 12-year mandatory education system, comprising one year of kindergarten, five years of elementary school, and a combined six years of middle and high school education.

This year, in particular, the country introduced an elective curriculum allowing high school-level students to choose among liberal arts, science, arts, sports and technology tracks.

Meanwhile, Kim Il Sung University, North Korea's top university, has renamed its information science department as the artificial intelligence (AI) department, offering majors that include AI, information science and programming, the school's website showed Wednesday.

The renaming suggests the country is revamping its university education to nurture AI experts amid the growing global race to develop AI technology.

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