[South Korean Education Loses Its Way] Namkoong Jiyeong: "Education Policy Must Endure Beyond Administrations"

Relay Proposals for Educational Reform ③
Namkoong Jiyeong, Senior Research Fellow at the Korean Educational Development Institute
"The Surge in N-susaengs Is Due to Fluctuating Admissions Policies"
"The New Government Should Implement Consistent Educational Policies"

It is now an era where one out of every three applicants for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is a repeat test-taker, known as an "N-susaeng." The increase in N-susaengs is considered a major educational issue that needs to be addressed, as it leads to side effects such as a rise in private education for CSAT preparation and the expansion of educational inequality based on parents' socioeconomic status.

Namkoong Jiyeong, senior research fellow at the Korean Educational Development Institute, who recently conducted a survey on the current status of N-susaengs, stated in an interview with Asia Economy, "Minimizing frequent changes in college admissions policies is the first step toward educational reform."

Researcher Namkoong explained, "After the Ministry of Education announced measures to strengthen fairness in college admissions in response to the 2019 Cho Kuk incident, the proportion of regular admissions at major universities in Seoul increased to 40%, and the percentage of repeat test-takers rose from 25.9% in 2019 to 31.7% in 2023." He added, "Subsequent changes in the college admissions system, such as the expansion of medical and pharmacy school quotas and the implementation of an integrated liberal arts and science CSAT, have accelerated the increase in N-susaengs." "Every time admissions policies change, anxiety among students and parents grows, and private education expenses rise accordingly," he pointed out.

Researcher Namkoong further emphasized, "To solve Korea's educational problems, such as the increase in N-susaengs, the surge in private education expenses, and the collapse of public education, it is important to pursue consistent educational policies." He continued, "What I hope from the new government is also the implementation of consistent educational policies." He reiterated, "Educational policy, which is a long-term national agenda, should not change with every administration. While every policy has its pros and cons and cannot satisfy everyone, educational policy must be pursued consistently within the broad framework of 'strengthening public education' and 'ensuring equal educational opportunities.'"

To this end, Researcher Namkoong stated, "We must move away from a standardized, score-centered admissions system and shift toward selecting more students who demonstrate diverse abilities and potential within the framework of public education."

He noted, "Because Korean education has focused solely on fairness, it has concentrated on screening students rigorously. With the introduction of the high school credit system, school grades should be evaluated on an absolute scale, the CSAT should become a qualification exam, and student records should be assessed in a way that allows for diverse exploratory activities. This would create an environment where students can focus more on public education rather than private education."

Researcher Namkoong stated, "Easing the hierarchy among universities is essential to solving the N-susaeng problem," and added, "It is important to foster specialized universities nationwide in a balanced manner." He viewed the Lee Jaemyung administration's pledge to "create 10 Seoul National University-level institutions" as part of this approach. He said, "Although securing the necessary budget is a key challenge, this policy is necessary to address the concentration in the capital area and to raise the overall quality of university education. Even just achieving this would be a significant accomplishment in Korean educational reform."