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The rise of Korean education from the ashes of the Korean War

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Abstract

Over the past few decades, South Korea has made remarkable achievements in education despite many obstacles. Education, in turn, has played an important role in Korea’s achieving both economic development and political democracy. This article examines how South Korea expanded access to education and improved its quality. The article also identifies several tasks Korean education faces in the context of the new challenges of globalization and social polarization, and some of the broader policy implications that the Korean model of educational development has beyond South Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seoul National University, 139-1802 Kwanak Dream Apt, Sunghyun-Dong, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul, 151-774, Korea

    Chong Jae Lee

  2. Cheongju National University of Education, 2065 Cheonnamro, Heungdeukgu, Cheongju, Chuncheonbukdo, 361-712, Korea

    Yong Kim

  3. The Pennsylvania State University, 302F Rackley Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Soo-yong Byun

Authors
  1. Chong Jae Lee
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  2. Yong Kim
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  3. Soo-yong Byun
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chong Jae Lee.

Additional information

This article draws on several previous studies by the first author, including Lee (2008), Lee, Kim, and Adams (2010), Lee, Kim, Kim, and Kim (2010), and Lee and Song (2010). The authors thank Don Adams for his valuable comments on previous drafts.

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Lee, C.J., Kim, Y. & Byun, Sy. The rise of Korean education from the ashes of the Korean War. Prospects 42, 303–318 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-012-9239-5

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