Unification Education in Korean Schools: Content and Curriculum Analysis

This study examines unification related content in Ethics and Social Studies textbooks across elementary, middle, and high school levels. The findings reveal that while both subjects share considerable thematic overlap, their pedagogical orientations differ. Ethics curricula frame unification primarily in terms of values and attitudes, emphasizing the meaning and significance of unification, the dispositions students should cultivate toward it, and the experiences and fair treatment of North Korean defectors. In contrast, Social Studies curricula present unification as an institutional and structural issue, addressing the historical causes of division on the Korean Peninsula, systemic differences between South and North Korea, the tangible benefits of unification, and instances of inter Korean policy level exchange and cooperation. Although recurring themes such as the necessity, importance, and envisioned future of unification appear consistently in both subjects across all grade levels, the complexity and depth of the content increase progressively with higher grades.