Two books published by the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) University Press have been selected as Outstanding Academic Books in the 2021 Sejong Book Awards (Academic Category).

The works selected this year are Professor Hyu-Yong Park’s 'Posthuman Pedagogy in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence' and Professor Chang-Hee Kim’s 'Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un: Political Leadership of the Paektu Bloodline.' These books were published last year by the JBNU University Press.

Professor Hyu-Yong Park was previously selected for the Sejong Book Awards in 2019 for his book 'Convergent Knowledge and Convergent Curricula.'

'Posthuman Pedagogy in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence' focuses on how the shift to a technology-centered and information and communications society is transforming the knowledge ecosystem, and how students' experiences and learning will change as a result.

Based on this concern, Professor Park uses the book to outline prospects for the future of school education, addressing the nature of knowledge in future schools and how learning environments can respond to technological change.

In addition, Professor Chang-Hee Kim’s 'Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un: Political Leadership of the Paektu Bloodline' examines what the so-called succession of the Paektu bloodline from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un entails, and investigates the operational mechanisms of the unique political system that make it possible. The book addresses one of the most central issues in North Korea studies.

Part I discusses the Paektu bloodline and the issue of political power succession; Part II covers the ruling ideologies of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un; Part III deals with the highest state posts — Chairman, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission — and the constitution; and Part IV describes the single-leader system resulting from Kim Jong-un's exercise of political leadership, the primacy of self-reliance, and shifts in the state's core policy line.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication & Culture Industry Promotion Agency annually select works of high value in the general and academic categories as 'Sejong Books.' Selected titles are distributed to public libraries nationwide through a publication support program.