Korea placed an overwhelming significance on education. Korea has a 99.99% literacy rate, and education is considered as the hallmark of being a successful Korean. It is a common belief in Korea that since Korea does not have much in terms of natural resources, people are its resources-- and education is a way to improve their resource manifold. The ardor with which Koreans pursued education is one of the main factors that allowed a country ravaged by civil war to become one of the emerging technology giants of the 21st century in mere 60 years.
Jobs are highly selective in Korea, and as a result, parents and teachers do whatever they can to ensure that their child/student is able to enter the best university possible. Korean families that can afford it send their students to cram schools (there are many types-- English, math, science, art, Chinese, Korean, philosophy, history, music…), or “hakwons”, so that students may learn beyond the intense subjects they cover at school. It is not uncommon for high school students to wake up around 6 AM, go to school, stay there until 4-5 PM, come back home, go to hakwon from 6 PM to 9 PM, do self-study, then sleep hours after midnight. The competition between peers, inhuman schedules, constant reminder of the looming future (universities, jobs, children), and the uncertainty of failing the university entrance exam (which takes place only once a year) are all everyday aspects of a Korean student’s life.
When it comes time to take the annual university exam, the whole country unites together. Everyday activities become quieter, and there are even national measures (sometimes grounding air force activities, banning cars within a certain radius of a testing site) to ensure that students are able to focus on their university exam. Temples and churches are filled with parents and grandparents praying for their child/grandchild’s success.
Understandably, the pressure on a student has detrimental implications. Suicide rates in Korea are among the highest in the world-- it is not uncommon to hear about yet another tragic loss of a young life on the national news. There are also concerns that since the regimented education system in Korea has little room for activities other than hard studying, Korean youths are losing their creativity. As a result, the government of Korea has taken steps (such as imposing a curfew on hakwons, and urging parents not to force their children to master materials that are two grade levels above) to correct the education system that has gone out of hand.