[Inside Chodong] "Like Watering Bean Sprouts, I Poured Money Into Private Academies"

"Why is it a crime for parents to devote themselves to their children's education?"

This is the question a university professor posed to a reporter investigating the fiercely competitive reality of early childhood private education, sometimes called the "age 7 civil service exam." The professor was asking whether this situation is inevitable in a country like South Korea, where limited land and resources have led to intense competition. He pointed out that blaming today's private education solely on "overzealous parents" misses the essence of the issue, especially considering Korea's long-standing passion for education dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty. I found his argument convincing.

On the 23rd, students are moving to academies after finishing school classes in the academy district of Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The professor also shared stories of "private education" among our ancestors a thousand years ago. In the ninth year of King Munjong of Goryeo, 970 years ago, Choi Chung?known as the "Confucius of the East"?established Gujaehakdang in Jaha-dong, Gaegyeong after retiring from government service. Talented students from across Goryeo lined up to enroll and receive targeted tutoring, eager to learn the exam strategies of a genius recognized even in China. This scene is not so different from today's lines for "elementary school pre-med classes" at academies in places like Daechi-dong and Mokdong in Seoul. While no job is inherently superior, the belief that "studying is the key to a better life" may be ingrained in the DNA of Koreans as a survival strategy in a country with limited land, restricted resources, and a competitive society.

Still, for those who think "this has gone too far," and for those who agree that "it's time to end this absurdity," I am sharing my thoughts through the special series "Korean Education: Losing Its Way." I have felt a sense of purpose when acquaintances told me, after reading my articles, "I flinched because it felt like my own story..." or "Even my child attends five or six academies, and even I think it's too much."

However, the reality we face is too suffocating for us to simply nod along and say, "Yes, that's my story." During my reporting, a manager in the financial industry told me that he poured money into his two sons' academy fees "like watering bean sprouts," even taking out loans to do so. He hoped his children would grow, just as bean sprouts thrive with regular watering, by gaining something from their time at academies. In the end, his son did not get into a university that met his expectations. When he expressed his disappointment, his wife retorted, "He only got in because he went to all those academies." Ultimately, he consoled himself by saying, "At least he didn't have to repeat a year," and "He's a good son because he didn't have to retake the college entrance exam."

Now, it is time to break this vicious cycle. Is there no way for students to enter university without private education? Is there no way to return the preciousness of "play" to seven-year-olds who are already caught up in "academy entrance exams" for the sake of college admissions? Adults, and especially parents, must be able to answer these fundamental questions. Is there no way to redirect the enormous annual expenditure of over 30 trillion won on private education into spending that supports happy, harmonious families or into investments for the nation's future competitiveness?

In just a few days, new leadership will be established to guide South Korea for the next five years. Each presidential candidate is presenting policies aimed at alleviating the entrance exam hell. Nurturing people is said to be a hundred-year plan. Education is something that requires a century of continuous planning, action, and reflection to even have a chance at success. I hope this year marks the first step. May we reach a point where no one has to say, "Yes, that's my story," and where no more money is poured into private academies "like watering bean sprouts."