본 논문은 북한에서 학문으로서 법학이 60년 동안 어떠한 변화의 양상을 띠고 있으며, 시기별로 법학의 세부분야 중 어느 분야에 중점을 두었는가를 자료분석을 통하여 도출하여 북한 법학의 발전과정을 파악하고 연구동향 및 특성을 살펴보는데 목적을 두고 있다. 북한에서 법학이라는 학문이 사회과학의 한 부문으로 자리 잡은 것은 철학, 역사학, 경제학 등과 더불어 정권수립이전 김일성 종합대학 출범부터이다. 북한에 대학이 처음 설립될 때부터 법학부가 설치되었다는 것은 법과 법학의 중요성을 나름대로 인식하였다는 반증이다. 그 외에 평양법률대학과 사법성 법률학교가 일정한 기간 존재하였다는 자료가 남아 있기는 하지만 지금까지 명맥을 유지하여오고 나아가 비중이 점차 커지고 있는 법학관련 대학은 김일성종합대학 법률대학이 유일하다. 그리고 연구기관으로는 사회과학원 법학연구소가 활동 중이다. 김일성종합대학에서는 법학의 학문적 성과물을 [김일성종합대학학보(력사, 법학)]와 대학교재를 통하여 공개하고 있고, 사회과학원 법학연구소는 [법학사전], [민사법사전], [국제법사전] 등 각종법률관련 사전과 [법학론문집]을 출판하여 법학연구의 성과를 제시하고 있다. 또한. [조선중앙년감]을 통하여 지난 한 해의 연구성과를 개괄적으로 총 정리하여 평가하 고 있다. 이와 같은 북한의 연구기관과 그 연구기관들의 연구성과물들이 60년이라는 기간에 어떻게 얼마나 변화 발전되어왔는가를 분석하는 것은 북한법학을 전체적으로 조망하는데 매우 유의미하다고 본다.

This thesis aims to study what changing aspect North Korea` s law as a science has taken on over the past 40 years and to examine which part North Korea has focused on among several parts of law through analyzing data, finally revealing the developing process of North Korea` s law, its study tendency and characteristics. It is with the founding of Kim Il Sung University that the science of law in North Korea was established as a part of social science together with philosophy, history and economics. The fact that from the beginning when the university was first founded in North Korea, law department was established shows in some way the importance of law itself and law as a science. Though there are some data that Pyung-Yang Law College and Judical Law school used to exist, it is only Law College in Kim Il Sung University that has maintained and increased its importance. And as a research center Law Research Center in Social Science Institute has been coming into operation. Kim Il Sung University makes public its scholarly research results of law through university class text and Kim Il Sung University Journal(history, law). Law Research Center in Social Science Institute shows its accomplishments of law study through publishing all sorts of dictionary related with law such as Law Dictionary, Civil Law Dictionary, International Law Dictionary and Law Journal, assessing wholly its research results of the last year through Chosun Jungang Almanac. It will be very meaningful in surveying wholly the law science of North Korea to study how much and how the research centers of North Korea and their study results have been made and developed over the past 60 years. Since the reign of Kim Jung Il set off, one of the most conspicuous characteristics in North Korea`s law study has been an intensive study of the related laws about international relationship like international politics, foreign economics and legislation history. That a basic study of theory for individual legislation has been made together is another characteristic. In conclusion, law study in North Korea does not stay just as a means of politics, which used to be for a time, but rather has gradually changed into a universal scholarly study of law as a dimension suitable for its status of a member of international society.