The Importance of Education in South Korea

South Korea believes that education is the key to success as the country records a high percentage of high school graduates every year.

An article by ABC News has stated that, compared to the United States with over 1.2 million students - only one-fourth of its total student population - failing to graduate each year, South Korea has revealed that 93 percent of high school students graduate on time.

There is also low dropout rate, as they consider it a "major disaster" and a "catastrophe."

"No one just drops out of school," Ewha Girls' High School principal Chung Chang Yong said.

"A student may transfer to another school, but no one just drops out. ... To drop out of school is a major disaster, a catastrophe. It wouldn't happen unless it was unavoidable."

As early as kindergarten, students try their best to be able to study in one of the prestigious schools in the country. Parents invest their fortune to provide their kids good education.

Aside from paying for the university where their kids attend, they also pay a private tutor to help their children prepare for the entrance exam - called 'suneung'. According to ICEF Monitor, many parents spend huge sums for this.

South Korea considers it a very important matter, banning airplanes from taking off or landing as well as scheduling rush hour to make sure students make it to the test on time.

A parent, Baek So-Ae, says she spends around $8,000 for after-school lessons, adding she always needs to cut costs for the education of her daughter.

"We spend around one-third of our total income on education. That is definitely a burden," Baek said.

"People say that university is not the end of everything, but it is one of the most important parts in life. Society wants professional people, and getting married is not the end for women these days."

She went on, "I think university is the best place to gain professionalism. It does not guarantee success, but it definitely raises the probability."

A Korean mother also said, "Korea has few natural resources, we don't even have much land, the only resource we have is people."

Principal Chung said the same thing, "In a country so small, with no natural resources, the reason we can export cars and (information technology) is because of our human resources."