THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM - AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE - Working paper 1/2018

Sep 14, 2026

The paper analyzes why the Korean education system produces exceptional standardized test results and high public education rankings, while also examining the social and psychological costs that accompany this performance orientation. Drawing on the author’s long-term residence and teaching experience in South Korea, plus academic research and news reporting, it connects Confucian historical traditions and postwar economic policy to high-stakes exam preparation. It evaluates system strengths alongside well-documented weaknesses, including the pressures created by the CSAT and the expansion of private tutoring.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Abstract

Introduction

Examination Hell

The CSAT and Its Ripple Effects

Private Education Is Booming

More Isn’t Better

Conclusion

References

THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE Working paper Nº 1/2018 Tim Thompson Archer English Consulting January 2018 CENTRO ESPAÑOLDE INVESTIGACIONESCOREANAS 스페인한국연구소 THE SPANISH CENTER OF KOREAN RESEARCH THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE Tim Thompson Archer English Consulting Edita © Centro Español de Investigaciones Coreanas C/ Mauricio Legendre 16, oficina 2019 28046, Madrid E-mail: [ceic@ceic.ws](ceic@ceic.ws). ISBN: 978-84-931925-1-8 D. L.: M-16981-2018 Madrid, january 2018 THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE SUMARY Abstract 4 Introduction 5 Examination Hell 6 The CSAT and It’s Ripple Effects 7 Private Education Is Booming 9 More Isn’t Better 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 3 WP Nº 1/2018 THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE Abstract The Korean education system has been raising eyebrows around the globe for its high test scoresand public education rankings. Many countries are eager to learn what has led to this quantitative success story and attempt to duplicate it in their own schools. However, in order to gain a better understanding of what make education in Korea so successful in terms of raw numbers, one must delve into the nations’ Confucian history and examine its post-war economy. Only then can one truly see the Korean education system’s strengths and weaknesses. 4 WP Nº 1/2018 SUMARY THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE Introduction This paper will utilize the author’s 18 years of experience living and teaching in South Korea as well as academic research and news reports to attempt to shed some light onto how Korean students continue to lead international rankings and produce high scores on standardized tests. Through this, readers will also begin to understand the ripple effects that accompany a system that focuses on preparing third-year high school students for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), known in Korea as the Suneung. The first section will explore Korea’s Confucian origins and how they have created a culture that values education and places teachers in a higher social position than in many other countries. We will then look at the role the Park Chunghee administration played in creating demand for education in postwar South Korea in the 1960s and 1970s. The second section explains why the CSAT is such a high-stakes test and highlights some attempts that the government has made to reduce its overall importance. It also shows that public school classes have become test-prep lessons, creating a need for supplementary education. The third section discusses the role that private education plays in filling that need. The last section examines what working for Korean companies is like and how Confucian culture is still at play, long after students graduate. 5 WP Nº 1/2018 THE STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSES OF THE KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: AN INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE Examination Hell It was during the Chosun Dynasty in 1392 that Confucianism was adopted as Korea’s state ideology. At that time, education was limited to the ruling class, or yangban, that made up approximately 15% of the population (Sorensen, 1994) . Following the Japanese Occupation from 1910 to 1945, Korea lacked trained teachers and an infrastructure to teach the masses. The Basic Education Law that was passed in 1949 provided for six years of free education that would begin at age 7, three years of noncompulsory middle school that could charge tuition, three years of noncompulsory high school that could charge tuition, and four years of tuitioned college. In the 1950s the increased demand for public education created crowded classrooms and led to the creation of comprehensive entrance exams for middle and high

FAQs

What sources does the working paper use to explain Korea’s education outcomes?

The paper uses the author’s 18 years of living and teaching experience in South Korea, supported by academic research and news reports.

Why does the paper describe “examination hell” in Korea?

It traces the roots of intense competition to historical developments and explains how entrance exams and high-stakes test preparation shape student life and social status.

How does the CSAT influence the education system according to the paper?

The paper highlights the CSAT’s high-stakes role in driving classroom instruction toward test preparation and creating demand for supplementary education.

Sep 14, 2026

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