Verifying North Korean University Degrees: Challenges and Methods

North Korea's higher education system

North Korea's higher education is controlled by the Education Commission. North Korea has approximately 300 higher education institutions, including Kim Il Sung University (founded 1946), Kim Chaek University of Technology, and Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). PUST is unique as an internationally-supported institution that has had foreign faculty. Verification of North Korean credentials presents unique challenges due to limited international communication.

Verification challenges

• Limited communication — Direct contact with North Korean institutions is extremely difficult from most countries.
• No international accreditation — North Korean institutions are not members of international accreditation networks.
• Sanctions — International sanctions may affect the ability to conduct verification activities.
• Third-party evaluation — Some credential evaluation services have expertise in assessing North Korean degrees based on available information.

Key considerations

• Defector credentials — North Korean defectors may hold degrees that are difficult to verify through normal channels.
• Korean-language credentials — Credentials are in Korean.
• South Korean recognition — South Korea has specific processes for recognizing North Korean educational qualifications.