An Analysis of ‘Learning Korean Language (Russian Edition)’: A Korean Language Textbook for Foreigners Published in North Korea

This study analyzes the Learning Korean Language textbook (Volumes 1-3, Russian edition), published in North Korea for foreign learners, in order to shed light on the current state of Korean language education as a foreign language in the North Korean context. The analysis focuses on the textbook’s structural organization, the use of Russian as an auxiliary language to support Korean learning, the characteristics of each language skill area, and the patterns of practice activities, thereby examining both its external and internal features. The findings reveal that the textbook aims to enhance learners’ productive skills through repeated vocabulary exposure, incorporation of cultural elements, and activity types centered on sentence generation. In particular, tasks in vocabulary, reading, and speaking go beyond word-level understanding and emphasize the ability to construct complete sentences. However, limitations were identified in the insufficient explanations of pronunciation and grammar, as well as in the high cognitive demands of the practice tasks, which may challenge learners even if they have studied the lesson content. Furthermore, the cohesion between topics, grammar points, and skill-based activities was often weak, revealing a lack of internal integration. To address the limited accessibility of North Korean educational materials, this study presents actual examples and visual excerpts from each unit to provide a concrete view of the textbook's contents. Such a detailed depiction offers practical reference for Korean language educators interested in native-language education as a foreign language. This research contributes to understanding the structure and practices of Korean language education in North Korea and provides foundational data for future comparative studies and textbook development.