4 out of 5 Korean kids attend cram schools, while regional, income disparities widen South Korea’s private education spending has once again reached an all-time high, totaling 29.2 trillion won ($20.1 billion) last year. Despite a decline in student enrollment, the average amount spent per student, participation rate and study hours all increased, highlighting an intensifying dependence on private education. According to data released by the Ministry of Education alongside Statistics Korea on Th

The government will implement a series of measures to enhance safety at schools and prevent incidents like the recent fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old student by a teacher, acting President Choi Sang-mok said Monday. "School safety management will be further strengthened in the new semester," Choi said during a meeting on education policies, emphasizing the need to prevent such tragedies from occurring on school grounds. As part of the measures, the government will push for the swift passage of a

With only 4 months left until admissions process for 2026 kicks off, uncertainty on med school quota fuels confusion among prospective students South Korea’s recent proposal to conditionally roll back its planned hike and cap next year’s medical school enrollment at 3,058 — the quota it was before and has been for the last nearly three decades — has fueled frustration among high school seniors, Suneung test takers and their parents. In February last year, the government announced they would sudd

As South Korean schools kicked off the new semester on Tuesday, the government's ambitious plan to introduce digital textbooks using artificial intelligence has yet to gain full traction. The Education Ministry revealed that the adoption rate remains at just 33 percent, with administrative and technical hurdles slowing down implementation. During a press briefing the same day, an Education Ministry official stated that as of Friday, the rate of AI digital textbook adoption across schools nationw

South Koreans too young to hold a pencil compete to write essays to get into English kindergartens In a brightly lit classroom in Seoul’s Daechi-dong, 4-year-old Tommy (a pseudonym) grips his pencil, his little hands trembling slightly, with his feet dangling as they don’t yet touch the ground. His mother, along with others, waits anxiously outside as her child completes a test. The test sometimes requires them to read an English text and answer comprehension and inference questions or to write

Deans call for reversion to previous enrollment quota as schools not ready to take more students With the start of the new academic year just days away, South Korea's medical school crisis remains far from resolved, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the government's decision last year to expand medical school admissions quota by 2,000 spots. Despite efforts to persuade students to return, the overwhelming majority of those who protested the policy by taking a leave of absence have yet t

Number of international students entering Korea last year grew by 15 percent The South Korean government certified 158 universities' ability to manage international student programs, the Ministry of Education announced Monday. The certified colleges will benefit form eased visa screening, scholarship incentives and priority participation in overseas education fairs. The certification system, aims to enhance universities' internationalization efforts while addressing concerns over illegal stays b

Clashes between protestors and non-student groups jeopardize campus safety The wave of pro- and anti-impeachment rallies surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol has spread to university campuses, deepening divisions among students and raising concerns over campus security. On Friday, rallies supporting and opposing Yoon's impeachment were held simultaneously at Korea University, following earlier protests at Seoul National University and Yonsei University. The universities are considered the top 3 e

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Sunday it will launch a language and cultural education program in March to assist international middle and high school students struggling with communication in the Korean language. The program is designed for young people from multicultural backgrounds, particularly those who moved to Korea during their adolescence and face difficulties with the Korean language and cultural adaptation. The initiative, dubbed “Korean Language Prep School,” will pr

Education Ministry says it will distinguish between general mental health issues and behavior that poses risk to others As South Korea’s ruling People Power Party are proposing what they are calling the "Haneul bill" to place “at-risk” teachers with mental illnesses on mandatory leave, teachers’ organizations are pushing back, fearing that it could reinforce stigma and discourage educators from seeking necessary treatment. Educators worry that targeting mental health in such a manner could lead

In response to the tragic death of eight-year-old Kim Ha-neul by a teacher stabbing Kim after an after-school program, speculations have rose in South Korea regarding the programs’ safety measures for students. The after-school care program, dubbed “Neulbom School” in Korean, is an after-school management system including educational programs and activities for student growth and development. The system was introduced by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in January 2023 as a part of measures to c

In response to the tragic stabbing of an 8-year-old student by a teacher, the government is advancing legislation that would allow authorities to place teachers on mandatory leave if they are deemed unfit to perform their duties due to mental illness or other conditions. Education Minister Lee Joo-ho announced Wednesday that the law, named after the victim, Kim Ha-neul, will be implemented to monitor the mental health of school teachers. He added that the government will also consider measures f

As the university admissions process for this year approaches its end, the ongoing dispute over the medical student enrollment quota continues to cast a shadow over the return of defiant medical students to class in the upcoming academic year. Among the concerns about the fallout from the persisting mass leave of defiant students is the prospect of low quality education, with the number of students doubling next year. Universities are pushing for students’ return this year to avoid an overwhelmi

Parents condemn acting president's decision, urge to revoke AI textbooks Confusion at schools is growing as to what scenario to prepare for after South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok vetoed a bill to redefine artificial intelligence digital textbooks as "educational materials" rather than "textbooks." During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Choi justified the decision by emphasizing the importance of AI-powered textbooks in promoting personalized learning experiences. He also expressed concern

Seoul Cyber University, South Korea's first online university, is setting new standards for higher education by adopting innovative, AI-driven learning solutions. As part of this initiative, the university is utilizing AI technologies to enhance the delivery of higher education. For example, SCU plans to introduce AI-powered lectures in 2025, featuring virtual instructors built with text-to-speech technology and modeled on real professors. These AI instructors will provide consistent, engaging,