Study Abroad in South Korea

location in waters of the Sea of Japan, Korea Strait, and Yellow Sea. Total land area of Korean Peninsula, including islands, 220,847 square kilometers; approximately 98,477 square kilometers (44.6 percent) constitutes territory of South Korea.

After the dramatic split-up in the fifties, the South has fared very well. It has become one of the richest countries in East Asia and has managed to keep up a rather frenetic pace of economic development. This certainly does not mean Korea has lost touch with its roots. Like Japan, it manages to combine the ultra modern with the very traditional.

The climate of south korea is Long, cold, dry winters; short, hot, humid summers with late monsoon rains, flooding. Seoul's January mean temperature -5° C to -2.5° C; July, 22.5° C to 25° C. Cheju Island warmer, milder weather than other parts of South Korea. Annual rainfall varies from year to year but usually averages more than 100 centimeters; two-thirds of precipitation falls between June and September. Droughts, particularly in southwest; approximately one every eight years.

cities
The country’s largest city, national capital, and chief industrial center is Seoul, located in the northwest. Other major cities include Busan, the country’s principal seaport, in the southeast; Daegu, the principal commercial and manufacturing center of the south; Incheon, the major port on the Yellow Sea, near Seoul; Gwangju, the principal transportation and commercial center of the southwest; and Daejeon, a transportation hub for the west-central agricultural area and a center of science and technology. Also significant is the southeastern city of Gyeongju, which was the capital of the Silla kingdom that established unified rule of the Korea Peninsula in ad 668.

population
Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogenous in the world. Except for a small Chinese community (about 20,000), virtually all Koreans share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Buddhism is the traditional religion and is followed by 20% of the people. About 30% of the population are Christian (predominantly Protestant). Confucianism retains a following. The sense of hierarchy within society is strong.

With an area of 38,211 square miles and population of 47 million (United Nations World Population Database), the Republic is comparable in size and population density to Britain. South Korea has a strong security relationship with the USA, which is obliged under a 1954 treaty to ‘help Korea defend itself from aggression’. The US keeps about 25,000 troops in the country in what is considered a long-term presence.

economy
As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is seven times India's, 16 times North Korea's, and comparable to the lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. By 1999 GDP growth had recovered, reversing the substantial decline of 1998. Seoul has pressed the country's largest business groups to restructure and to strengthen their financial base. Growth in 2001 likely will be a more sustainable rate of 5%.

currency
The basic unit of currency is the won (W). Notes are available in denominations of W1,000, 5,000 and 10,000, and coins are denominated as follows: W10, 50, 100 and 500.

education system
Education is central to Korean society both as an avenue to improved socio-economic status, and as a mechanism of social and national integration under the education ideal - "Hongik Ingan" which means the extension of human welfare.

The Education Law promulgated in 1948, provides the legislative framework for the current education system in Korea. The Education Law of 1948 was revised in 1998 with the introduction of further legislation and this body of legislation now governs all matters relating to schools and higher education in Korea.

The major structural characteristics of the Korean education system are based on those of the United States. This consists of six years of elementary (primary) school, three years of middle (lower secondary) school, three years of high school (upper secondary) school, and four years of college (university).

The medium of instruction in schools is Korean. English is a compulsory subject from the commencement of middle school, and was introduced as a subject in the third year of elementary schools in 1997. Pupils in their third year of elementary schools (aged nine) are taught English for two hours a week.

The current English curriculum emphasises the instruction of grammar and vocabulary to the neglect of functional English. Consequently although English is taught at an early stage in schools, Korean students generally have limited speaking and aural abilities, and writing skills.

With the growing emphasis on functional English language competency, the government is proposing to expand the facilities for English language teaching and to improve the skills of English language teachers in Korean schools.

As pre- school education is not compulsory, Korean families have not considered it as important and necessary as elementary and secondary education. However, there is emerging recognition of the significance of pre-school education and the government has, since September 1999, introduced free pre-school education for children in rural areas and for low income families in urban areas. Otherwise pre- school education is provided by the private sector.

Elementary education is free and compulsory and provides general rudimentary education.

Middle school education provides standard secondary education. Since 1985, free and compulsory middle school education has been provided to agricultural and fishing communities and is incrementally being extended to other areas.

High school education aims at providing advanced general and specific functional education.

Fees are paid by students in all middle and high schools except for gifted students admitted to special schools. In 2000, there were 9,955 schools at all levels in Korea, with 336,940 teachers and 7,951,998 students. This includes 5,267 elementary schools, 2,731 middle schools and 1,957 high schools.

Although middle and high school education is not provided free, both enrolment and retention rates are very high. In 2000, student enrolment in middle and high schools were 1,860,539 and 1,324,482 respectively. In the same year, net transition rates from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school was 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent respectively.

Despite recent reforms to the education system, Korean schools are structured on the basis of rote learning, highly regulated, and almost exclusively centered on college entrance examinations. Parents spend large amounts of money on private tuition (kwawoe) to prepare their children for college entrance examinations in order that they can gain admission to a prestigious university.

In an attempt to free up the draconian college entrance system and shift the focus of high school education away from exclusive preparation for college entrance examinations, the government has broadened the testing procedures for college entrance to include problem solving and creative thinking skills.

Also, the government is moving towards further reforms aimed at changing the traditional school culture and introducing a more flexible and creative school environment.

Entrance to Korean colleges (universities) remains very competitive as emphasis is still placed on entering a prestigious university rather than pursuing a university study course on the basis of personal aptitude or interest.

College students also spend much time and money on extra-curricular education, particularly on English conversation and computing to improve their prospects for employment after graduation