Penezic 1

Taylor Penezic
Mr. Phillips
AP Language and Composition
January 7, 2016
South Korean Education
South Korea is a considered a model worldwide by producing overachieving
students. But what do these students compromise for their academics? They sacrifice
their health, happiness, and money. The high pressure South Korean teen students face
has a negative correlation on the percentage of high school graduates attending
universities.
Education is considered a necessity in the Korean society by establishing a social
status that is determined by what university they attend. Nearly 80% of school graduates
continue their education by attending a university (the Pressures..). However, the
percentage wasn't previously this high. In the last twenty years, there has been a 30%
increase in students who attend a university. This is the highest rate in the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development, or the OECD (the One-Shot Society).
Granted, since there has been a large increase within twenty years, something within the
education system must have changed. Nevertheless, having one of the worlds highest
literacy rates is a huge accomplishment within the country.
Undoubtedly, graduates outnumber the amount of job opportunities available.
Consequentially, the unemployment level is high. Many choose to be unemployed rather
than working an unskilled job. The graduates who are unable to find full time
employment further their study (What Do You Do..). Education is a convenience for

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South Koreans and a validation of self worth. When graduates are struggling, they
continue to return to education because it is all they are taught. The top universities are
exclusive; meanwhile, many students qualify for those spots. Therefore, how do
universities choose which students to accept and which students to decline?
The answer is the Suneung. An eight-hour college entrance exam taken by
eighteen-year-old students in November where the results determine which universities
students receive acceptance into. There are three prestigious universities: Seoul National,
Korea, and Yonsei, referred to as SKY (South Korean Education). Road traffic is
diverted from anywhere the test is being taken, police cars become taxi services, and
airplanes are rerouted in fear of disrupting test takers (The Pressures of South Korea..).
This test alone would be enough to send any student into serious panic mode. In the eyes
of the students, this test determines the rest of their life, for better or for worse. It is to no
surprise academics can become monumental stressors.
A South Korean student's classroom hours can easily accumulate up to fourteen
by attending private institutes after school. Hakwon, a private academy, is where children
frequently attend to reinforce crucial material. The education has become so rigorous, the
South Korean government attempted to ban out of class tutoring in the past (the Great
Decompression..). After their daily education, nearly ten hours are left in the day for basic
necessities like sleeping and eating. The remaining time isn't acceptable for a good night's
rest, which can increase levels of anxiety. Overall, South Korea's system casts a long,
dark, frightening shadow that has a negative correlation on the number of high school
graduates attending university.
All of this education comes with a price. South Korea spends $7,652 per student;

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this represents 7.6% of their GDP, compared to the OECD average of 6.1% (System and
School Education). In result, 22% of household income is spent on education, including
Hakwon (System and School Organization). The money spent has a negative correlation
to the percentage of high school graduates attending universities. But perhaps, the only
ones who aren't impressed with South Korea's accomplishments is South Korea
themselves.
Astonishingly, it is not uncommon to hear about the grim stories of South Koreans
committing suicide. The country has become known as the suicide capital of the world,
ironic of also holding the title for most overachieving students. The pressure can become
beyond what some can handle, unfortunately. Two female students in the city of Daejeon,
jumped to their deaths, leaving a note saying, "We hate school" at the age of sixteen (The
All Work, No Play..). Suicide is a complex topic; there is not one single cause for it.
Some are more vulnerable to depression than others, "Among young South Koreans who
confessed to feeling suicidal in 2010, an alarming 53% identified inadequate academic
performance as the main reason for such thoughts," said Se-Woong Koo The deafening
silence of students says a great deal and has a negative correlation to the percentage of
high school graduates attending universities.
Has the students failed society, or has society failed the students? According to
sociologists, students are to blame for the highly competitive atmosphere (Why Exam
Suicides are a Sign of Hope). Although sociologists are convinced students are to blame,
parents, particularly mothers, believe the right to decide their children's future is
sacrosanct (Koo). Parents may be to blame for some of the pressure, "When I asked a
class if they were happy in this environment, one girl hesitantly raised her hand to tell me

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that she would only be happy if her mother was gone because all her mother knew was
how to nag about her academic performance" (Koo). The need to meet high expectations
can be a strong motivator and additionally be myopic and has a negative correlation to
the percentage of high school graduates attending universities.
It should be taken into consideration that there is always two sides and it is not
uncommon for the media to twist stories. In an interview with Jake Kimball, he merely
said the opposite of what the media portrays the South Korean education system to be.
Jake Kimball moved to South Korea nineteen years ago to pursue a career in English
education after growing up as an American in a small town in Connecticut. Kimball has
been teaching English to young learners during his time in South Korea at ILE Academy,
where he is Director of Studies. Kimball is also the founder and facilitator of Korea
TESOL's young learner and teens special interest group. He holds a MSc. in educational
management in TESOL from Aston University in Birmingham, England.
According to Jake Kimball, although President Obama and many others around
the world extol the results of South Korea's education system, the world leaders don't
understand how Korea achieves their high ranking on international tests. While the
education policy seems to be a continual crisis, the Korean government often sends
politicians and educators to Finland in attempts to reproduce their system. In fact,
education ministers are fired routinely when education debates arise (Kimball).
Kimball says the efficiency and productivity is not optimum in public schools. In
reality, while public school teachers are doing administrative tasks, they allow students to
sleep. Kimball's own students have claimed for years that little instruction actually takes
place. Later do they attend private academies like Hakwon and learn material. Attendance

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at academies or tutoring consistently hovers at around 85-87% (Kimball). As far as
program evaluation, academics and tutoring can surprisingly be superficialneither is
regulated. Thus, students attending public school are experiencing more of a social
atmosphere, according to University professor, Jake Kimball.
While the education system has excelled in producing a large number of literate
individuals, it hasn't translated into a significant amount of patents and noble prizes. A
fair number of individuals do succeed academic wise and attend elite universities, but the
majority are barely average students (Kimball). High pressure does has an effect, no
matter how small or large, "But given my own experience, the impact on health and
happiness is a mixed bag, with the lion's share of unhappy kids belonging to a particular
socio-economic group, the upper-middle class whose goal is moving up in society," said
Jake Kimball The students belonging to upper class families who are motivated by social
ranks are the ones that the news is focuses on.
Kimball relates research towards younger students: the day is long attending
school, private academics, and extra-curriculars. However, depending on the type of
school, high school students generally work hard. But at last, according to a professor, it
is obvious students copy and paste writing assignments, check answers, and divvy up
homework between classmates. And do so half-heartedly. In university, students tend to
take it easy and relax by taking part in clubs and drinking heavily. Companies including
LG and Samsung put new hires through remedial training programs for several years,
which replaces the content that would have been taught through university. Also, it is not
uncommon to hear about students entering the military and give up on their studies. What
articles fail to mention is the large number who take one year or more off to travel or

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work part-time jobs (Kimball). Because of the high pressure, many students decide to
take time off from education, which has a negative correlation on the percentage of high
school graduates that attend university.
Suicide rates are high, but the issue is far more complicated than it is made out to
be. Like others around the world, South Koreans deal with personal issues impacting
their life: divorce, abuse, breakups, and other mental health issues that could be solved. A
substantial problem is few intervention programs and far too many families having issues
do not seek help. Some suicide cases directly link to academic pressure, but the media
fails to inform their reader that statistics are always highlighted during the time of the
Suneung (Kimball).
The South Korean education system is far more complex than the rest of the
world is aware and do not truly understand their system. Not all students face high
pressure. Most students speak fondly of their school years. The media's portrayal is far
different than what a South Korean professor would argue. It is up to the rest of the world
to create opinions about the topic of the South Korean education system.

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Works Cited
"The All-Work, No-Play Culture Of South Korean Education." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 20
Nov. 2015.
Kimball, Jake. personal interview. 29 Nov. 2015.
Koo, Se-Woong. "An Assault Upon Our Children." New York Times 2 Aug. 2014. Global
Issues In Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"System and School Organization." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
"South Korean Education Ranks High, but It's the Kids Who Pay." The Conversation.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
"The great decompression; South Korea's education system." The Economist 26 Oct.
2013: 14(US). Global Issues In Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"The One-shot Society." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 17 Dec. 2011. Web.
22 Nov. 2015.
"The Pressures of the South Korean Education System - Beyond Hallyu."Beyond Hallyu.
N.p., 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
"What do you do when you reach the top? South Korea's economy." The Economist [US]
12 Nov. 2011: 79(US). Global Issues In Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"Why Exam Suicides Are a Sign of Hope [column]." Africa News Service 19 Jan. 2012.
Global Issues In Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.