Kim Il Sung university, located in Taesong District Pyongyang, is the DPRK’s oldest university. It was founded on October 1st, 1946 and was named after the founder and first leader of North Korea: President Kim Il Sung. During the Korean war between 1950 and 1953, Kim Il Sung University was temporarily relocated 32 kilometers to the Northeast of Pyongyang close to the city of Pyongsong at a site called “Paeksong revolutionary site” which in Korean means white pine tree and is a staple of any tour to the Pyongsong region.
Where is Kim Il-Sung University and how many students does it have?
Situated on a 15-hectare campus atop Ryongnamsan (The hill the University is built on) the whole facility contains a multitude of academic buildings on the campus as well as a museum to the University’s history, an electronic library and a swimming pool.
With around 16,000 students enrolled, Kim Il Sung university covers all subjects from social sciences, law, arts and sciences. Undergraduate courses take five years for students to complete. While the majority of students at Kim Il Sung University are Korean, Kim Il Sung university is also famous for being one of the only universities in North Korea that accepts international exchange students (mostly from China).
How to visit?
While not a feature on most of our group tours to North Korea, It is certainly possible to arrange a visit to Kim Il Sung University on any of our Independent North Korea tours. Visitors to the university are able to walk around the main campus buildings, observe local classes and even participate in language exchanges with the students.
Are you interested in experiencing student life in Pyongyang for yourself?
While not taking place at Kim Il Sung University, YPT has been proudly running a Korean language study tour at Kim Chol Ju University for several years now where you can experience student life for yourself in Pyongyang. Please do not hesitate to contact us if this is a program you would be interested in.
Alternatively join one of our regular visits to North Korea.
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