Those looking to study Korean in its native land suffer from no dearth of options: Seoul is chock-full of fine universities offering to teach the notoriously difficult tongue to foreigners. But for those seeking an experience a little more, well, what’s the word—Stalinist?—there is Tongil Tours. And have they got a deal for you: This summer, you can study Korean at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang.
Now that just about everybody and their mother has gone to Cuba, this will no doubt appeal to a certain kind of, shall we say, adventurer. (Or shall we say ghouls, as that better describes those who like to visit totalitarian theme-parks?) And Kim Il-sung U is the place to study in North Korea. As Tongil Tours says on its website, “Kim Il Sung University is the most well-known university in the DPRK.” Indeed, notable alumni include Kim Jong-il, whose stellar leadership of that country succeeded in starving millions. (But don’t blame the university for that. Given that he was Kim Il-sung’s son, he probably got in as a legacy.)
The cost of the course works out to a thousand euros a week, rivaling American university summer-program prices in a country where $50 a month are plum wages. But you should budget for a bit more: Given the North Korean regime’s propensity for snatching foreigners and holding them for ransom, The Scrapbook suggests students bring a little extra pocket money.
While boasting that the university offers an “excellent Korean language program,” Tongil’s website includes an oblique sort of warning: When enrolled at KIS U, “Outside of sensitive political themes, you can chat about anything and really build friendships.”
Outside of sensitive political themes—so if you’re dragged off to a work camp, don’t say you weren’t warned. Then again, it’s not as though students aren’t practiced in the skills they’ll need: Staying out of ideological trouble at Kim Il-sung University probably requires no more caution than that recommended at most American universities these days.
