The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Builders vie for leadership in modular construction

  • 3

    INTERVIEW'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director

  • 5

    Austrian former nurse of Korean leprosy patients dies at age 88

  • 7

    Korea picks up 1st gold in roller skating

  • 9

    Top 1% of singers earned $3.4 mil. each on average in 2021: data

  • 11

    Yoon meets police officers, firefighters on Chuseok holiday

  • 13

    New York City area gets one of its wettest days in decades, as rain swamps subways and streets

  • 15

    FM visits France to campaign for Korea's World Expo bid

  • 17

    With teammate's help, inconsolable shooter regroups in time to win bronze

  • 19

    Korea wins bronze in mixed team pistol event for 14th shooting medal

  • 2

    Poll shows 79% of young Koreans agree on need to improve ties with Japan

  • 4

    What to know and what's next for Travis King, the American soldier who ran into North Korea

  • 6

    S. Korea lose to N. Korea in women's football quarterfinals

  • 8

    Korea to extend $5 mil. worth of fertilizer aid to Ukraine via US agency

  • 10

    Households in capital area hold 70% more in assets than non-metropolitan families: data

  • 12

    Korean industry minister visits Africa for World Expo bid, economic ties

  • 14

    Korean baseball team trying to adjust to playing surface, new ball in China

  • 16

    Republicans reject own funding bill, US government shutdown imminent

  • 18

    What happens if US government enters a shutdown?

  • 20

    Korean diver Woo Haram bags 9th Asian Games medal

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Mon, October 2, 2023 | 03:12
Private tutoring costs unbridled
Posted : 2011-04-06 18:54
Updated : 2011-04-06 18:54
Lee Hyo-sik
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

Students study at a hagwon, or private cram school, in this file photo. The drive for better grades is pushing some students and their parents to illegal tutoring. Effective though it may be, it’s still against the law. / Korea Times

By Han Sang-hee

Parents and students will do almost anything when it comes to getting higher grades, even if it means paying a ridiculously large amount of money and going against the law.

It is known that exorbitantly expensive private tutoring — in many cases illegal — is rampant in affluent Gangnam in southern Seoul.

To crack down on this underground private tutoring, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SOME) conducted an investigation centered on Gangnam since last August.

Of the illegal cases it uncovered, it made public a large-scale, organized tutoring case where a “chief tutor” hired 15 others, and charged parents of high school students up to as much as 10 million won ($8,000).

This case is just the tip of the iceberg and illegal tutoring is expected to continue to boom, capitalizing on the steady demand from rich parents while evading the occasional crackdowns by the authorities.

Behind the scenes

According to SMOE, a 35-year old tutor identified by his surname Oh, leased three apartments in Gangnam and offered illegal private tutoring with the 15, some of whom were regaled as “star tutors.” Oh himself was a well known math teacher and also taught students.

Photos that were released by the district office showed how Oh operated his illegal “hagwon.”

It looked any other home, except for the fact that the rooms were made into a library, with individual desks where students could study. According to the office, such cram schools are mostly located in normal apartments or studio apartments.

“It’s considered safer because such places use card keys or even have security locks that use passwords instead of keys,” said an official from the district office, adding that this makes it more difficult to find them.

The students paid 1.7 million for math per month, while tuition for English, Korean, science and social sciences was one million. Classes were held eight times a month at 90 minutes per class.

When the investigation team approached the scene, there were more than 30 students studying, including a high school student whose parents paid 10 million won for one month.

What makes it illegal?

Private tutoring is not at news for Korean households, as it is as popular as cram schools, or hagwon. But in this case, this was more than simply visiting a student, or vice versa, and teaching subjects: it was a systemized hagwon that took place privately at an independent venue other than the tutor’s or student’s home.

“The most surprising aspect was the tuition, which ranged from 5 million won to even 10 million won per month. But this is a relative issue. For some, this amount could be acceptable, but for many others, it may seem too much,” said Cheong Jae-heon from SMOE.

Cheong explained that the problem was not the money, but the fact that Oh hired tutors and operated an actual hagwon without reporting it to the education office.

There are currently three categories that are included in the Private Institute Law: hagwon, training schools and private tutoring.

The law indicates that hagwon can have more than 10 students, while training schools must have nine or less.

In the case of private tutoring, there are no legal standards in terms of the number of students, but it must be held at either the student’s home or the tutor’s residence. Private tutoring cannot be given at any other place, including studio apartments.

“In the case of Oh, he basically operated a hagwon in a studio apartment without reporting it to the education office and this violates the law. This is actually the first time we found a tutor who hired 15 teachers and held classes at three different apartments for some 30 students,” Cheong said.

The education office pressed charges against all those involved, and shut down the hagwon. The students and parents were not charged.
Emailleehs@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
wooribank
LG
Top 10 Stories
1Trapped along borders Trapped along borders
2[INTERVIEW] Risk-averse culture is forcing daring creators to flee showbiz INTERVIEWRisk-averse culture is forcing daring creators to flee showbiz
3Koreans adapt to soaring food prices Koreans adapt to soaring food prices
4Education ministry prohibits parents from recording classes Education ministry prohibits parents from recording classes
5[VIDEO] Bustling Chuseok: Namsan Hanok Village immerses visitors in Korea's rich traditions VIDEOBustling Chuseok: Namsan Hanok Village immerses visitors in Korea's rich traditions
6Builders vie for leadership in modular construction Builders vie for leadership in modular construction
7Are 'finfluencers' helping or harming investment community? Are 'finfluencers' helping or harming investment community?
8Value, consumer goods, financial stocks expected to gain momentum after Chuseok holiday Value, consumer goods, financial stocks expected to gain momentum after Chuseok holiday
9Will blue crabs from Italy arrive on Korean dining tables?Will blue crabs from Italy arrive on Korean dining tables?
10[INTERVIEW] ROK-US alliance is win-win partnership: KUSAF chief INTERVIEWROK-US alliance is win-win partnership: KUSAF chief
Top 5 Entertainment News
1M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub
2[INTERVIEW] 'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director INTERVIEW'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director
3Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art
4[INTERVIEW] With '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting INTERVIEWWith '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting
5Rwandan artists bring diversity to Seoul's art scene Rwandan artists bring diversity to Seoul's art scene
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group