A Study on the Causes of Social Inequality in North Korea: Focusing on the Placement of High School Graduates into Rural Areas

The purpose of this study is to analyze the placement of high school graduates in rural areas during the Kim Jong Un era from the perspective of social inequality and class immobility. The findings of this study reveal that the policy of occupational inheritance and regional origin fixation not only restricts opportunities for career choice but also perpetuates social inequality across generations. The results indicate that North Korea's repeated approaches to addressing rural issues from the past to the present have led to an increasing number of young people turning away from rural areas. As these vacancies are filled by high school graduates and orphans, social inequality is further exacerbated. This study is significant in that it explores the history of rural mobilization and placement of high school graduates in North Korea, as well as the issues of inequality arising in this process.