Foreign Professors Return to North Korea’s ⁢Pyongyang University⁣ of ‌Science and Technology

After a four-year absence due to⁣ the novel coronavirus ⁤outbreak, foreign professors at Pyongyang University of Science and ‌Technology, North Korea’s⁢ only international‌ private university, are ‌returning to the country. This development has sparked interest in the reason behind North Korea’s decision to allow their return before Western embassies or international organizations.

Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is an international private university specializing in ⁣science and engineering that was opened in North Korea in 2010 through a joint venture between a South Korean private organization‍ and the North Korean​ Ministry of⁤ Education. The faculty is comprised primarily of American and European nationalities, including⁢ Korean-Americans, and all classes are taught in English.

In 2020, when North ​Korea closed its borders due to the⁤ novel coronavirus pandemic, all of the university’s faculty members, along with other foreigners, left North Korea. ‌Since then, the academic schedule has been​ conducted through online video classes, making normal education impossible.

The return of the professors is seen as a significant development, as it is‌ the first time ‍that North Korea has‍ issued a resident visa to a Western foreign national since it opened its borders to a limited extent in the second half of last year to‍ ease the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Professor Im Eul-chul of Kyungnam University’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies said that North Korea has consistently placed importance on nurturing scientific talent and that​ he understands that it has been considering normalizing Pyongyang University of Science and Technology since the easing of ‌the novel coronavirus lockdown.

However, Professor Lim also‌ predicted that due to the changing environment over the past four years, including ‌North Korea’s advancement of nuclear weapons, close military ties between North ⁤Korea and Russia, and⁤ the strengthening of international sanctions against North Korea, ​unprecedented controls may be put in place on the introduction of equipment necessary for research and experiments and the transfer of scientific knowledge.

North Korea’s​ decision to allow the ⁣return of the professors ⁣has also sparked speculation about the country’s policy‍ towards the United States ahead⁤ of the U.S. ‌presidential election.⁤ Some analysts believe⁢ that North Korea’s unusually‌ low level of threatening rhetoric or military response during the recent joint military exercise⁢ between the U.S. and South Korea, and its decision to bring back the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology professors to Pyongyang, could be a measure taken with the possibility of resuming dialogue ‌with the new U.S. administration‍ after the November presidential election in mind.

Dr. Cho Han-beom of the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-affiliated think tank, said that North Korea must be aware that as skepticism about North Korea’s denuclearization grows in ‍some ‌quarters ⁢in the U.S., the need for negotiations focused on a freeze and non-proliferation rather than denuclearization is growing, and that their intention appears to be‌ to show that‌ they are open to dialogue regardless of who the new president ​is.

Meanwhile, there are reports that North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Son-hui will attend the UN General Assembly ⁢next month. If ⁢successful, it will be the first time in ‌six years since 2018 that a sitting North Korean Foreign Minister will participate in the general⁣ discussion of the UN General Assembly.

Dr. Hong Min of the Institute for ‍Unification Studies ‌said, ​“North Korea ⁣could use Foreign Minister Choi’s speech at the UN to effectively convey what aspects the US should consider when choosing its North Korea policy ahead of the US presidential election.”

This development is seen as a significant move⁢ by North Korea to engage ‌with the international ‍community, and⁢ it remains to be seen how the country’s relations with the United States and other countries will evolve in the coming months.

Related⁣ Topics:

• North Korea
• Pyongyang University of Science and Technology
• Foreign Professors
• Novel Coronavirus
• US Presidential Election
• North Korea-US Relations

Tags:

• North Korea
• Pyongyang⁤ University of Science and Technology
• Foreign Professors
• Novel Coronavirus
• US Presidential Election
• North‌ Korea-US‍ Relations