{"id":5205,"date":"2021-03-25T11:04:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T11:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=5205"},"modified":"2021-03-25T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T11:09:17","slug":"spending-time-with-the-children-of-chongjin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/spending-time-with-the-children-of-chongjin\/","title":{"rendered":"Spending time with the children of Chongjin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Visit most countries and you will be shown their grand monuments, historic sites, beautiful landscapes. Visit North Korea and you will see those sights too. But they are also keen that you meet some of their people and see how they live. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carefully selected people, that is.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the city of Chongjin<\/a>, where major sights are relatively few, we had the chance to visit two very different schools: a foreign languages school for senior pupils and a kindergarten for little ones gifted in the performance arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let me introduce you to some of the children of Chongjin. We will meet the young pianist above in due course, but I want to start with some older children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chongjin Institute of Foreign Languages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This school caters to older teenage students who show a flair for languages, almost certainly selected from among the higher-ranking families. Higher-ranking, in egalitarian North Korea? Surely not? Well, yes, actually. Songbun<\/em> is a system of ascribed status based on the political, social and economic background of your direct ancestors and the actions of family members. Using this, the authorities determine whether you are given opportunities in areas such as education, employment and housing. The pupils here almost certainly come from higher Songbun<\/em> families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were met at the door by one of the teachers who proudly showed off the painting in the hallway depicting a visit to the school by Kim Jong Il in 1990; photos of pupils who had won honours and medals; and a series of paintings and posters exhorting the students to study hard as their duty to their country, etc. etc.<\/p>\n\n\n