Issues of National and Patriotic Education of Youth in the Republic of Korea at the Beginning of 21st Century

The paper considers issues of national and patriotic education of young people in the Republic of Korea at the beginning of 21st century. The education of patriotism and love for the homeland is one of important tasks of the South Korean State. However, the specificity of the nurturing process in the Republic of Korea appears to be that in the post-colonial years the Korean nation has been divided into two national states, and therefore the main task of national and patriotic education is to achieve the unification of the nation. The ways of social development of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea varied considerably during the post-colonial period so it seems correct to speak of the existence of two Korean national identities. It has been stressed in scholarly literature that the modern South Korean identity has significantly changed in its manifestation compared to the original ethnic form, which is a crucial issue for nurturing. This study aims to clarify the current state and the tendencies of development of the juvenile identity in the Republic of Korea, in terms of solution of the problems of national and patriotic education in the Republic of Korea.