Jane Han is the North America editor for The Korea Times. Based in Seattle, she has covered business, culture and social issues across the United States for over 15 years. She previously worked at The Boston Globe.
Samsung scion’s near-perfect college exam score reaches Korean parents in US
Lee Boo-jin listens to remarks from attendees during a luncheon meeting held at the Orchid Hall of The Shilla Seoul in Seoul on Aug. 31, 2023. Yonhap
By Jane Han
SEATTLE — A story about Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin’s son receiving a near-perfect score on the national college entrance exam has already made headlines in Korea, but the buzz did not stop there.
The news quickly leapt across the Pacific and began circulating among Korean moms in the U.S., where parents are reacting with equal parts envy and fascination.
Parents abroad said they were struck by how a Samsung scion managed to excel within Korea’s intensely competitive school system. Many expressed surprise that he stayed in Korea for his entire education rather than joining the steady stream of students heading overseas, especially the U.S.
Park Sun-young, chair of the new Truth and Reconciliation Committee, praised both the result and the family’s approach to schooling in a widely shared post. She wrote on Facebook that the senior at Whimoon High School “missed only one question on the CSAT this year” and had remained “first in his class” since middle school. CSAT refers to Korea's College Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Park contrasted Lee’s parenting with what she described as a common trend among affluent families. “These days, wealthy parents rush to send their children overseas,” she said. “It almost feels grateful that a Samsung heiress with nothing to envy in the world raised her son entirely in Korea.” She added that she hopes the example helps Korean education “stand tall again” and gives domestic-educated moms “real pride.”
The discussion has since spread widely across Korean American parenting spaces, including MissyUSA, along with the social media platform Threads.
One U.S.-based mother wrote that seeing a Samsung scion succeed in Korea made her feel that “Korean education still works when given the chance.” Another wondered whether staying in one system allowed him to focus without the disruption that often comes with moving abroad. “There’s something about learning in your own language and culture that keeps kids more confident,” she wrote.
Others said the news evoked both admiration and pressure, highlighting how intensely education defines opportunity for Korean families no matter where they live.
This year’s CSAT was widely viewed as more difficult than last year’s, adding to the sense of accomplishment.