As Korea cracks down on English kindergartens, Seoul districts open their own for free

Five-year-old children attend an English class funded by Seocho District at Donghwa Kindergarten in Seocho District, Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Park Ung

Last week, Byun Jae-i, a 5-year-old at Donghwa Kindergarten in southern Seoul's Seocho District, learned that kangaroos come from Australia and pandas from China. The twist is she learned it all in English, a language she is still picking up.

“I had learned English at a private institute before, so learning it here became easier,” she told The Korea Times. “Last time at kindergarten, I did an art activity where I made a tiny palm-sized bed and that was the most fun.”

The weekly classes, funded by Seocho District, are part of a broader push by some Seoul districts to give young children a friendlier first brush with English, amid a government crackdown on so-called "English kindergartens."

In Korea, English kindergartens refer to private academies that teach children mostly in English from around age 3 until they begin elementary school. Monthly tuition at English kindergartens averaged 1.54 million won ($1,042) in 2024 — roughly 3.5 times the average monthly private education spending of 435,000 won per 5-year-old — according to the Ministry of Education.

Criticized for fueling the private education frenzy, English kindergartens have prompted authorities to act. Last year, lawmakers introduced a bill banning English cram school programs for children under 36 months. This month, the Ministry of Education said it plans to cap rote instruction at three hours a day for children aged 3 to 6.

With English absent from the national curriculum until third grade in elementary school, parental anxiety over the gap has pushed some Seoul districts to start programs like the one Byun attends.

Launched in March, the program is free and enrolls about 600 5-year-olds from 20 public and private kindergartens across Seocho District. Its goal is to give children play-based English exposure.

“Kids from English kindergartens and those who didn't attend often show a real gap when they enter elementary school. We wanted to narrow that, and many parents were asking for it,” said Kim In-ha of the district's educational support division.

For parents, the results have been encouraging. Lee Eon-ju, 42, whose younger daughter is enrolled, said the difference has been noticeable.

“Since attending the class, she comes home singing English songs and once tried to tell me a story she made up in English,” Lee said. “Learning through play with friends in a familiar setting, she seems to absorb English naturally without pressure.”

But Lee acknowledged the district program is no substitute for English kindergartens, which expose children to six or seven hours of English a day, though she remains satisfied.

“In sheer volume, the program can't compete,” she said. “But the teachers are vetted and the curriculum is research-backed. It would be great to see them expand and diversify.”

English teacher Catherine Lee leads a class funded by Dongdaemun District for first-grade elementary school students at Dapsimni Film & Media Art Center in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, April 16. Korea Times photo by Park Ung

District programs also reach early elementary students. Earlier this month, at a community center in northeastern Seoul's Dongdaemun District, 20 first-graders sat in front of ingredients laid out for making a cake, in a four-week class conducted entirely in English.

One student, Kim Da-som, had made rice balls in class, which is how she learned the English word “rice.”

“I first learned English at age 6 through a kindergarten program,” the 7-year-old said. “That one mixed in some Korean, but here it's English only.”

Her mother, Kim Eun-woo, 44, said her goal was never exceptional English proficiency. “I wanted her to be exposed to English, feel comfortable with it and enjoy it, and so far, the program delivers,” she said.

The mother added that English education is a top priority among parents she knows, as many believe that, unlike other subjects, English requires early exposure. While she acknowledged the four-week format falls short of what English kindergartens offer, she still thinks the program offers a lot. “It's free, fun and meaningful to have the district involved, and just the chance to speak with native teachers has value,” she said.

Catherine Lee, 35, a Canadian teacher with the Dongdaemun District program, previously taught at a private English kindergarten in Gangnam District in 2019. The atmosphere here, she said, is far less pressured.

“In the private kindergarten, there was more pressure from the parents for the children's performance and they had high expectations, whereas here they can learn a little bit more freely and have a little bit more fun,” Lee said.

“I do think this sort of curriculum, where they do simple lessons together and play without high pressure, is good for this age, for sure,” she added.