A group of North Korean students crossing a street on Oct. 6, 2016 | Image: NK News
Across East Asia, school exams are seen as a life-or-death matter. Children in China, Vietnam and South Korea spend their formative years preparing and sitting for an unending cycle of tests on everything from algebra to history.
North Korea is increasingly like this too. Many kids from affluent and ambitious families shuffle from one private academy to another in hopes of improving their test scores.
Across East Asia, school exams are seen as a life-or-death matter. Children in China, Vietnam and South Korea spend their formative years preparing and sitting for an unending cycle of tests on everything from algebra to history.
North Korea is increasingly like this too. Many kids from affluent and ambitious families shuffle from one private academy to another in hopes of improving their test scores.
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Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.