ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to understand music education in North Korea through the analysis music textbooks for secondary schools in North Korea and interview with North Korean defectors, which would lay the foundation for preparing for future unification education. The results were as follow. First, in terms of external format, the five types of textbooks had the identical format but the quality of paper materials and ink was poor. Few illustrations and photos were found and the illustrations weren`t helpful in aiding the understanding. Second, in terms of contents, singing and sight-singing accounted for 61% of all the activity areas and 72% of song lyrics were about admiration for Kim`s family, praise for fatherland, and loyalty, with emphasis on self-reliance ideology. Third, through the interview, we found while education in North Korea is free-of-charge and obligatory, individuals need to purchase things for school life. Educational environment is poor, instrument supplies are lack, and sound system is sparsely equipped.

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