Ulsan Kindergarten Tuition Drops, Only Region Nationwide to Decrease

Ulsan Sees 74.3% Drop in Kindergarten Tuition
Nationwide Average Rises by 4.3%
Full Free Education for Ages 3 to 5 in Private Kindergartens

As a result of the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Chun Changsoo) implementing a full free education policy for kindergarteners aged 3 to 5, the price of kindergarten tuition fees in the Ulsan region has dropped by 74.3% compared to last year.

According to the National Statistical Portal of Statistics Korea, education prices in March rose by 2.9% compared to a year ago, marking the largest increase in 16 years and 1 month since February 2009 (4.8%) during the financial crisis.

While the national average for kindergarten tuition fees increased by 4.3%, marking the largest increase in 9 years and 1 month, Ulsan recorded a significant decrease of 74.3% compared to last year, making it the only region in the country to see such a substantial decline.

In particular, kindergarten tuition fees had been on a downward trend nationwide for 58 months since May 2020 but have recently started to rise again. While regions such as Jeonnam (24.3%), Gangwon (15.7%), Busan (14.7%), Gyeongbuk (12.1%), and Seoul (5.0%) have seen significant increases, Ulsan is the only region continuing to experience a decline due to the policy effect.

Education expenses are among the largest items in household spending, and the realization of free education from early childhood is a key policy that contributes to real household stability.

Since September 2023, the Ulsan Office of Education has implemented free education for five-year-olds enrolled in private kindergartens. In 2024, this was expanded to include four-year-olds, and from 2025, three-year-olds will also be included, completing a full-age free education system.

The Ulsan Office of Education has stably secured the budget for free kindergarten education, providing direct support to institutions: 100,000 KRW per child for public kindergartens and 215,000 KRW per child for private kindergartens, thereby easing both the administrative and financial burdens on parents.

The status of support for public and private kindergartens is as follows: in the 2023 academic year, 5,574 five-year-olds received approximately 5.48 billion KRW; in the 2024 academic year, 9,619 four- and five-year-olds received approximately 21.03 billion KRW; and in the first quarter of the 2025 academic year, 12,651 three- to five-year-olds received about 6.94 billion KRW in support.

An official from the Ulsan Office of Education stated, "We are focusing on increasing kindergarten enrollment rates and expanding the foundation of public education from early childhood to reduce educational disparities and simultaneously enhance the equity and quality of education."