North Korea Mandates Russian Language Study for Elementary Students

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has implemented a significant revision to its foundational education policy, making the Russian language a compulsory subject for all elementary school students starting in the fourth grade. This directive was announced on November 27, 2025, following a formal meeting in Moscow, signaling an acceleration in educational and political alignment between Pyongyang and the Russian Federation.

Alexander Kozlov, Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and a co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission overseeing Moscow-Pyongyang relations, confirmed the development as part of a broader cooperation framework. This strategic educational measure coincides with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which began in 2022, and a formal mutual defense pact signed between the two nations in June 2024 and enacted in December 2024. The linguistic integration is part of a comprehensive bilateral strategy that also encompasses professional development and infrastructure projects.

The cooperation extends beyond primary education to include advanced professional training for DPRK specialists in critical sectors such as power engineering, geology, medicine, and banking, with these individuals undertaking studies in Russia. Furthermore, a dedicated Russian-language Open Education Center is under construction at the Kim Chol Ju University of Education in Pyongyang, with its inauguration scheduled for 2026. Currently, approximately 600 individuals in North Korea possess professional proficiency in Russian, a figure the new mandate is designed to substantially increase.

The geopolitical context frames this educational alignment as a reinforcement of a deepening strategic partnership. The mutual defense agreement, which entered into force in December 2024, commits both nations to providing military assistance in the event of an unprovoked attack. This alignment has been evidenced by reports in 2025 indicating the DPRK supplied military materiel, including artillery shells, and deployed personnel to support Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict, with South Korean intelligence noting substantial casualties among the North Korean personnel involved in these overseas deployments in late 2025.

Historically, Russian has been one of the top three foreign languages studied in North Korea, providing a foundation for this policy shift, though its elevation to compulsory status for young learners marks a new benchmark. The educational exchange is reciprocal, with over 3,000 Russian schoolchildren and approximately 300 Russian university students currently studying the Korean language. For the 2024–2025 academic year, ninety-six North Korean citizens were enrolled in Russian universities, including institutions such as the Far Eastern Federal University and MGIMO University.

Minister Kozlov characterized the mandatory introduction of Russian as a measure intended to strengthen existing educational collaboration, signaling a long-term commitment to linguistic and cultural familiarity that supports broader political objectives. The decision, announced by the Russian official in Moscow, reflects a deliberate, long-term investment by the leadership of North Korea, under Kim Jong Un, and the Russian administration, led by President Vladimir Putin, in cementing a shared operational framework. Prioritizing Russian in the foundational years of DPRK schooling reflects the current geopolitical realities between the two states.