North Korea’s education authorities have launched a probe into so-called “8.3 students.” These students use their networks and money to bribe schools for diplomas without actually attending classes.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the Ministry of Education has ordered universities to “thoroughly investigate these students and take measures against them, including expulsion from school and revoking their diplomas.”
The Ministry of Education also ordered schools to thoroughly investigate and take action against professors and university officials who took bribes to look the other way.
In North Korea, “8.3 workers” refer to workers who attend their assigned factories or companies in name only, paying their nominal employers a monthly sum of money to conduct private business.
Similarly, “8.3 students” are enrolled in universities but do not attend classes, paying money for their diplomas. The Ministry of Education appears to be pursuing the probe because there are so many of them.
According to the source, the education ministry’s order said that “the existence of 8.3 students in universities – institutions charged with training the workforce that will take over the future of the nation with advanced science and technology – is absurd and completely unbelievable.” The ministry called on universities in Pyongyang and other areas of the country to thoroughly probe the presence of 8.3 students in their schools.
Some students ditch classes to make money
In particular, the order criticized the way some university students obtained their diplomas by providing the schools with large quantities of cement, oil, food for the staff, vegetables, and other items without attending a single class, noting that “the corruption that used to occur in provincial universities has now found its way into Pyongyang schools.”
The order cited the example of a student who lived in Chongju, North Pyongan Province, and attended Chang Chol Gu University of Commerce in Pyongyang. The student, who attended classes only once a month and never set foot in a dormitory, made a fortune smuggling goods from China with his father and bribed the school to remain enrolled and receive a diploma.
The order also cited the example of an 8.3 student who attended Pyongsong University of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry. The student obtained a diploma without attending classes, sold landline and cell phones to earn money, and paid someone for a thesis.
With the Ministry of Education naming names and ordering universities to conduct independent probes, the education department of the South Pyongan Province People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More is reviewing university attendance records and interviewing students by mid-February to uncover instances of university corruption and determine the transparency of their operations.
The provincial education department will submit its findings to the Ministry of Education and decide on punishments. Accordingly, students involved in corruption are likely to be expelled or have their diplomas annulled, while professors and university officials involved will be relieved of their duties or dismissed.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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