• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-131
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• 2017

Objective: This study aimed to examine the status of South Korean unification education for young children by reviewing Nuri curriculum developed by the Korean government. Method: Literature review was adopted in order to analyze the contents of the Nuri curriculum teachers'manuals under the areas and elements of unification education. Results: Unification education has been designed to accelerate unification, to promote the values and attitudes toward the unification of the two Koreas, and to prepare for the post-unification period. This education can be categorized into specific areas: democratic community, democratic citizenship, peacekeeping and multiculturalism. These areas account for 24.24% of the total contents in the Teachers'Manual of the Nuri curriculum. The percentage of the contents helpful to understand North Korea and unification, however, is merely 0.25% of the total contents, and the elements are not fairly balanced. Such content coverage of the teacher's manuals for kindergartens is 2.83% higher than that for preschools. Conclusion/Implications: The implications of this analysis include that the elements of unification education should take a more balanced approach with more integrated and broader coverage. The elements also need to be revised so that both kindergarteners and preschoolers can get access to unification education of the same quality.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.129-144
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze research trend of unification education for young children based on changes of kindergarten curriculum. Methods: For this purpose, 33 master's and doctoral theses and 53 academic articles were divided into 4 sections based on changes of kindergarten curriculum and analyzed in terms of educational periods, methods, and themes. Results: First, research of unification education for young children initiated when the $5^{th}$ kindergarten curriculum was activated. The number of research repeated increasing and decreasing according to changes of kindergarten curriculum. Second, literature review and qualitative research were most frequently carried out. Third, research themes had been diverse based on changes of kindergarten curriculum. Conclusion/Implications: Discussions and implications were included to enhance future research of unification education for young children and kindergarten curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.91-104
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore early childhood teachers' content knowledge and knowledge level on unification education through an analysis of a concept map (Novak & Gowin, 1984). Methods: The subjects, including 65 early childhood teachers in a metropolitan area, were asked to draw concept maps illustrating their understanding of unification education for young children. The collected concept maps were analyzed using the methods utilized by Novak and Gowin (1984) as well as You and Kim (2018). Results: In terms of early childhood teachers' content knowledge, 282 superordinate concepts and 1,766 subordinate concepts were shown. The 282 superordinate concepts were categorized into 7 representative superordinate concepts: understanding of North Korean, understanding of separation/unification, identification as Korean citizen, unification policy, relationship between South Korea & North Korea, educational activities, connection with home and society. In terms of early childhood teachers' knowledge level, the numbers of subordinate concepts and hierarchical level were shown to be varied according to the 7 representative superordinate concepts. Conclusion/Implications: Discussions were included to support and enhance early childhood teachers' content knowledge on unification education for young children through the development of comprehensive programs and teacher education.

• Journal of Ethics
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• no.80
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• pp.51-77
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• 2011

This study aims to explore how to establish any foundation of the value of the unification of the Korean Peninsula in multicultural society of Korea. Its main issue is related to Korean identity of a nation and its shared value among the mulitcultural members, in particular, of North Koreans including defectors, foreign workers, and immigrants of international marriage and their children. For this study, I would utilize a given research of the application of two concepts of culture to multicultural levels by criticizing its limit; as an alternative, furthermore, I would pay attention to the possibility of the concept of emotion in multicultural members. A short feature in a given study of two conceptions of culture in a multicultural society is as follows: the first is to regard it as the patterns of meanings and symbols, which is very useful to understand others or other culture; secondly, to see it as the lasting process of perfection in human life, which makes us recognize ourselves as a member, so to speak, identity. In application it to Korean muliticultural members, however, there are crucial and complicated problems according to the cases of their lives. For North Koreans, firstly, they tend to get the conception of Korean identity in terms of ideological policies and education of North Korean government. This means that they have a strong hatred towards the word multiculture, in the level of recognizing the self-culture. Secondly, North Korean defectors also have the recognition of the self-culture, but their serious problem is discriminative treatments by South Korean in terms of socio-economics, in the process of their settlement. Thirdly, parents and their children in multicultural family can have their identity as Korean. In parents, however, the level is double that they can have both identities of Korean as well as of their countries. The foundation, therefore, of the value of the unification in the Korean Peninsula is closely related to the issue of identity as Korean. To recognize it, it is possible only to consider and reflect all members' lives by applying the dual conceptions of culture to their multicultural lives. That is not of outer system, but of inner, relational and cultural emotion, which enables them to share their common value of unification.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.187-200
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• 2012

Korean government imposed a free education policy called "Nuri-Curriculum program" available for children under age of 5 ever since march 2012 due to consolidation of national responsibility. The policy presents providing of cost-free and high-quality education/childcare services to people. Nuri program services will expand to applied age of 3-5 children from march 2013. however, because to gain successful outcomes from the program requires well-trained professional educator, it is necessary to standardize education infrastructure in order to improve employees' professionality. Therefore study suggests followings: fisrt, establishment of desirable role-model. second, unification of the training process. third, unifications of administration system and qualification standard. fourth, readjust curriculums to focus on basic knowledge of human life. fifth, clarify the duty of educator and systematize curriculums. sixth, consolidate base criteria.