Analysis of ideological elements in North Korean middle school English textbooks: The interaction between English education and political indoctrination

This study investigates ideological elements in middle school English textbooks in North Korea and explores how language education intersects with political indoctrination. North Korea’s English curriculum serves dual purposes: fostering practical English language abilities for international communication and reinforcing regime loyalty and socialist values. Using a critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics of English textbooks from grades 1 to 3 in North Korean middle schools, the research identifies systematic ideological messaging within English language instruction. The findings indicate that the textbooks prominently feature political slogans and images promoting loyalty to Kim Jong Un, regime superiority, and patriotism. Leader appellations such as ‘Respected’ and ‘Great’ frequently appear, normalizing absolute authority. Grammar structures are strategically employed for ideological aims; ‘have to’ constructions emphasize citizens’ duties to the state, be-verbs with infinitives connect personal aspirations to national goals, and superlative forms highlight national symbols such as Mt. Paektu. National holidays celebrating leaders’ birthdays (Day of the Sun, Day of the Shining Star) reinforce leader worship. Although these textbooks do integrate modern teaching methods such as working in pairs and communicative activities, these techniques ultimately support the internalization of political messages through repetition and practice. The research provides insights for potential inter-Korean educational exchanges, suggesting English education as an initial area for cooperation due to its relatively lower ideological sensitivity compared to other subjects.