Major South Korean Study Major South Korean Study Abroad TrendsAbroad Trends

Prepared for the AP Summer Institute in Prepared for the AP Summer Institute in AsiaAsia

by the Fulbright Commission, by the Fulbright Commission, Seoul Korea, July 2008Seoul Korea, July 2008

www.fulbright.or.krwww.fulbright.or.krwww.educationusa.or.krwww.educationusa.or.kr

OverviewOverview

• Korean Students Going Abroad and Korean Students Going Abroad and International Students in KoreaInternational Students in Korea

• Korean and international students in Korean and international students in the U.S. the U.S. ––Sevis and IIE Open Doors Sevis and IIE Open Doors DataData

• Some key characteristics of South Some key characteristics of South Korea’s education sectorKorea’s education sector

• I will post this presentation atI will post this presentation athttp://blog.educationusa.or.krhttp://blog.educationusa.or.kr

Korean Students Going Korean Students Going AbroadAbroad

Breakdown by CountryBreakdown by Country

Breakdown by Country, 2006-Breakdown by Country, 2006-20072007

Level of Study Breakdown by Level of Study Breakdown by RegionRegion

International Students in International Students in KoreaKorea

103,389 Active Korean 103,389 Active Korean Students in the U.S. as of June Students in the U.S. as of June 2008, 2008, Sevis dataSevis data

Education Level of Active Education Level of Active Students Sevis Data July 2008Students Sevis Data July 2008

Top Ten Majors – Int’l Top Ten Majors – Int’l StudentsStudents

Geographic DistributionGeographic Distribution

Open Doors Data-Intensive Open Doors Data-Intensive EnglishEnglishRank Place of Origin

Students

S-Weeks

WORLD TOTAL 45,167 636,522

1 Korea, Rep. of (South) 10,026 141,336

2 Japan 7,453 94,649

3 Saudi Arabia 5,047 126,996

4 Taiwan 4,748 68,868

5 Brazil 1,572 14,351

6 China 1,461 18,686

7 France 1,008 7,688

8 Thailand 975 13,105

Academic Level of Korean Academic Level of Korean Students in the U.S. (2006/7 Students in the U.S. (2006/7 Open Doors)Open Doors)• 45.2%45.2% undergraduateundergraduate

• 38.4%38.4% graduate studentsgraduate students

• 7.2% 7.2% otherother

• 9.2%9.2% OPT (Optional Practical OPT (Optional Practical Training)Training)

Korean Students in U.S. by Level

41.1 40.342.3 43.3 43.9

45.7 45.247.2 48.3 47.8 47.2

45.2

41.4

38.4

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006year

perc

ent

%UG

% Grad

Korea’s Education SectorKorea’s Education Sector

• Specialized and private high schools.Specialized and private high schools.

Specialized High SchoolsSpecialized High Schools

• A high school with an animation A high school with an animation department department http://www.bchs.hs.kr/http://www.bchs.hs.kr/

• Korea Game Science High School Korea Game Science High School http://www.game.hs.kr/http://www.game.hs.kr/

• Daewon Foreign Language High Daewon Foreign Language High School School http://daewon.seoul.kr/dflhs/dflhs_enhttp://daewon.seoul.kr/dflhs/dflhs_eng/daefh_mseng01.aspg/daefh_mseng01.asp

Korea’s Education SectorKorea’s Education Sector

• Specialized and private high schools.Specialized and private high schools.

• Korea has the world’s highest rate of Korea has the world’s highest rate of H.S. graduates going on to higher H.S. graduates going on to higher educationeducation

Advancement/Employment Advancement/Employment Rate for High School GraduatesRate for High School Graduates

Advancement/Employment Advancement/Employment Rate for University GraduatesRate for University Graduates

Korea’s Services DeficitKorea’s Services Deficit

Private Versus Public Private Versus Public ExpenditureExpenditure

Private Education is Big Private Education is Big Business in KoreaBusiness in Korea

• The industry is estimated to be worth The industry is estimated to be worth 20-30 trillion won ($21 billion to $32 20-30 trillion won ($21 billion to $32 billion).billion).

• Samsung Securities estimated the Samsung Securities estimated the market would reach 28.6 trillion won market would reach 28.6 trillion won this year.this year.

Private Institutes in KoreaPrivate Institutes in Korea

• 77 percent of Korean students are 77 percent of Korean students are getting private educationgetting private education

• Averaging 7.8 hours per weekAveraging 7.8 hours per week

• 222,000 won per child222,000 won per child

• 20.4 trillion won expenditure last 20.4 trillion won expenditure last yearyear

Investment in English Investment in English EducationEducation• Koreans spend an estimated $16 billion Koreans spend an estimated $16 billion

per year on private institutes and per year on private institutes and tutoring.tutoring.

• This estimate includes English lessons at This estimate includes English lessons at the kindergarten level and expenses for the kindergarten level and expenses for those families who go overseas for study.those families who go overseas for study.

Source: Samsung Research InstituteSource: Samsung Research Institute

President-elect Lee Myung President-elect Lee Myung Bak’s Promised ReformsBak’s Promised Reforms

• Reducing the role of private Reducing the role of private education and strengthening the education and strengthening the public education system.public education system.

• Education Ministry has become the Education Ministry has become the Ministry of Education, Science and Ministry of Education, Science and TechnologyTechnology

Highlights of the New Highlights of the New Government’s English-Friendly Government’s English-Friendly Plan Plan • Gov’t to invest $4.2 billion over the next Gov’t to invest $4.2 billion over the next

five yearsfive years• To introduce Teaching English in EnglishTo introduce Teaching English in English• To outsource 23,000 teachersTo outsource 23,000 teachers• Reduce English class size from 35 to 23Reduce English class size from 35 to 23• Offer immersion and other training to Offer immersion and other training to

English teachersEnglish teachers• Utilize housewives and overseas KoreansUtilize housewives and overseas Koreans• Introduce an English proficiency test to Introduce an English proficiency test to

replace current testsreplace current tests

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2001 2002-Q2 2002 2003-Q2 2003 2004-Q2 2004 2005-Q2 2005 2006-Q2 2006

Denmark

Netherlands

Switzerland

Iceland

Korea

Broadband penetration, historic, top five OECD countries for Dec. 2006

Source : OECD