Education
Korea may be considered one of the most educated countries in the world with 70% of people aged 24-35 having completed some sort of tertiary education (Mani, 2019). When you compare the performance in standardized testing, Korea appears to have a top-quality school system. Compared to the literacy rate in 1945 at 22%, now Korea has reached universal literacy at 98-100% (Mani, 2019). There is a strong focus on education in Korea’s economic rise. Mani (2019) found that households devote much of their time and resources in education. It is of upmost social importance and correlates with social status, income, and power. With the strong focus on education, there is a lot of competition to be the best of the best. Mani (2019) states that Korea has what is described the most merciless education systems around the world that is beyond “stressful, authoritarian, brutally competitive, and meritocratic.”
As students get closer to college, students can spend 16 hours or more a day in school and at after school prep classes and/or tutoring sessions and it is reported that these students said they had less than two hours of spare time (Mani, 2019). Korean parents can be “tutor-holics” and students being “test-aholics” has brought on issues such as lack of sleep, lack of leisure time leading to mental health crises (Mani, 2019). Suicide is the leading cause of death in teens in Korea. The amount of stress and the fears of failure are largely the reasons for suicidal thoughts (Mani, 2019). To cope with societal pressures, Korean teens are also facing a drinking problem (Mani, 2019).
There are so many social pressures to succeed in the labor market. There is rise of employment cosmetics, a driving factor of the rise of cosmetic surgery and enhancements (Mani, 2019). Many employers factor in physical appearance into hiring decisions. On top of the competition in Korea’s society, pressures are amplified with such a high unemployment rate at 11.2 percent in 2016 (Mani, 2019).
Because fertility rates are declining, the college age demographic is shrinking. It is expected that more than 40% of the population is to be over age 65 and the country’s overall population is to shrink to 42.3 million by 2050. This drastic shift is already causing schools to close and reduction of admission quotas (Mani, 2019).
The government is making strides to reform the education system to create less competition by integrate to one large university system, reduce admission fees, and change the school curriculum to create more flexibility in elective subjects, while also a pushing to create vocational programs (Mani, 2019). There is a push to ease the admission process and tuition rates to prestigious schools to make it fairer to those who are unable to afford prep schooling (Mani, 2019). Another reform includes the adoption of blind hiring in the private sector that practices fairness. Applicants no longer have to reveal GPAs or personal information about age, weight, family background, or submit headshots (Mani, 2019).
While Korean may one of the most educated countries, it comes at a cost of mental health issues, suicide, and many other societal stressors. With the dropping fertility rates come a large demographic concern at what the future may hold for Koreans. The government is making efforts to tackle the issue and make the workforce a fairer place with equal opportunities that can benefit the majority.
