imminent, many may turn to focus on the search for a job.
For university
students in North Korea, there are both similarities and differences. Summer break in South Korea and many other places runs from late June to the end of August, affording students two full months. Conversely, the summer holiday in North Korea begins much later, running from early August and lasting a mere 15 to 20 days; some
universities offer as little as 10.
As in South Korea, plastic surgery is somewhat common in the
North, and so a select few students opt to undergo a procedure during their respite [usually minor procedures, like eyelid surgery], even though the
short duration results in insufficient recuperation. Plastic surgery remains illegal in North Korea, but doctors do it on the side to supplement their paltry incomes.
Plastic surgery is not the norm for most university students, however. Instead, many attend private lessons related to their field of study or engage in
task-based learning arranged by their college at enterprises in their home region. While working they
must adhere to strict
dress codes: white shirt with a tie and black suit pants for males, a
skirt suit or traditional hanbok for females.
The concept of a part-time job is nonexistent, but
many students offer private tutoring during such
breaks, too. In contrast to oft-taught subjects such as Korean, English, and mathematics
in South Korea, North
Koreans tend towards
subjects like art, music, and sport.
North
Korean colleges by and large require some form of assigned
practical tasks for graduation
usually completed by students in regional factories. Students need verification from their supervisors and the Party council of their work, usually in the form of a
certificate. While
failure to submit this certificate does not affect their school grades, it leaves
them susceptible to severe
criticism and slashed marks, which can thwart successful graduation. In these cases, North Korean defectors reveal that
some parents use
bribery or money in order to obtain the required documentation.
Natural disasters and poor infrastructure often lead the authorities to call upon students to boost
personnel shortages in farming and disaster relief. According to a 2010 report
by Radio Free Asia, college
students contributed to large
scale efforts to combat flood damage that year. To maximize the effort, universities
across the nation were declared on official break until restoration could be
completed.
Similarly, Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) reported in July of 2005 that philosophy students from Kim
Il Sung University spent their summer holidays on farms around Cheongsan-ri in the Gangseo district of South Pyongan Province. Professor Kim Myeong Chol declared during the segment, “It may be summer break for our students, but they have been laboring vigorously and tirelessly to demonstrate loyalty to enterprises in Cheongsan-ri.”
A defector reported
to Daily NK on the 24th,
“Unlike South Korean college students, who invest their time in part-time jobs
or attend private educational institutes, these activities are not commonplace for North Korean students,” adding that instead “[They] opt to go back home and rest or tutor to make a little extra money.”
The source
concluded by explaining, “The practical tasks assigned by
colleges are analogous to South Korea’s internship programs,” while adding that as with many things in the North, “But many differ in respect to having to submit a work verification document, and there is some degree of bribery involved.”
