North Korea opens its first Chinese language test in Pyongyang in May. Photo: Xinhua

North Korea has opened its first Chinese language test center, which Chinese analysts hailed for serving a greater opening of the country.

The first Chinese language test center in North Korea officially opened May 7 at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in Pyongyang, the Chinese Embassy to North Korea announced via its WeChat account on Sunday. 

The Chinese language examination center marks an improvement in the Chinese teaching level in North Korea and will arouse passion among North Korean students to learn the language, an official from the education commission of North Korea said at the opening ceremony. 

Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences and a frequent visitor to Pyongyang, told the Global Times that North Korea has "Chinese learning fever." 

"In the past, Russian and English were the most popular foreign languages for North Koreans, but now it's Chinese," Lü said. "Many schools in the country are setting up Chinese classes." 

The center can organize HSK Chinese proficiency tests, HSKK speaking tests, YCT primary and secondary school student tests and business Chinese tests.

North Koreans believe that learning Chinese will gain them an employment advantage, Lü noted. Chinese language skills will better serve the country's opening and integration with Asia, he believed.

North Korea is the 137th country in the world to set up a Chinese exam center and the test center at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the world's 1,141th examination site, the Chinese Embassy said. 

The opening of a Chinese language examination center in North Korea will build a bridge for language and cultural exchanges between the two countries and provide a better learning platform for Chinese learners in North Korea, Zhao Guocheng, deputy chief executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, was quoted as saying in the release.

The center will enhance exchanges and deepen mutual learning of the two peoples, especially youths, Zhao said.

Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun also attended the opening ceremony.