South Korea is investing heavily in education, with 5.2% of GDP spent on it in 2021 and tens of billions more flowing through both public and private channels. Yet opportunities and outcomes are uneven, from a 1.7x tutoring gap between high and low income families to a 6% share of students who feel disadvantaged at school due to family circumstances. Alongside that pressure, students and teachers are also adapting fast with widespread broadband access and growing use of digital learning tools, making the education system feel both connected and competitive at the same time.
Key Takeaways
- 1.7x higher likelihood of attending tutoring among high-income families vs low-income families in South Korea (OECD evidence summarized in Korea equity brief)
- Korea’s gender parity in tertiary education attainment: women 24% higher than men aged 25–34 (OECD Education at a Glance Korea, tertiary attainment)
- Korea’s share of students who reported feeling disadvantaged at school due to family circumstances was 6% (PISA 2022—Korea)
- 84% of South Korea’s 15-year-olds were enrolled in education at the upper secondary level (2022, OECD PISA-linked indicator set for Korea)
- 47% of tertiary students were enrolled in programs classified as STEM-related fields (OECD—South Korea, based on major fields of study shares)
- 32% of roles are expected to be augmented by AI/automation in South Korea (World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2020—Korea projection)
- Korea’s PISA 2018 average science score was 516 (OECD PISA 2018 Country Note Korea)
- 17% of teachers in South Korea reported they intend to leave the profession within 5 years (OECD TALIS 2018—South Korea)
- 96% of South Korean schools had broadband Internet access (UNESCO global school connectivity indicator; Korea case value published in UNESCO report)
- 83% of students reported using a digital device for schoolwork at least once a week (OECD PISA 2018 ICT—Korea digital learning indicator)
- 41% of students reported using learning platforms at least weekly (OECD PISA 2022 digital learning questionnaire indicator for Korea)
- 71% of South Korean employers reported providing formal training to employees in 2020 (proportion of firms offering training, national employer survey).
- 52% of South Korean students reported having access to a quiet place to study at home in PISA 2022 (share reporting having a quiet place).
- 46% of South Korean students reported experiencing learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 period (share reporting learning loss).
- 14% of students in South Korea reported being academically resilient (top performer despite disadvantaged background) in PISA 2018 (share academically resilient).
South Korea pairs strong education participation and broadband access with persistent inequality, digital learning growth, and STEM focus.
Related reading
Private Education & Equity
11.7x higher likelihood of attending tutoring among high-income families vs low-income families in South Korea (OECD evidence summarized in Korea equity brief)[1]
Verified
2Korea’s gender parity in tertiary education attainment: women 24% higher than men aged 25–34 (OECD Education at a Glance Korea, tertiary attainment)[2]
Verified
3Korea’s share of students who reported feeling disadvantaged at school due to family circumstances was 6% (PISA 2022—Korea)[3]
Verified
418.9% of South Korean households faced financial strain due to education spending (OECD—Korea household survey indicator, cited in education equity review)[4]
Verified
Private Education & Equity Interpretation
In South Korea, private education risks widening inequality because high income families are 1.7 times more likely to attend tutoring than low income families and 18.9% of households report financial strain from education spending.
Enrollment & Attainment
184% of South Korea’s 15-year-olds were enrolled in education at the upper secondary level (2022, OECD PISA-linked indicator set for Korea)[5]
Verified
247% of tertiary students were enrolled in programs classified as STEM-related fields (OECD—South Korea, based on major fields of study shares)[6]
Directional
Enrollment & Attainment Interpretation
In the Enrollment and Attainment picture, South Korea shows near-universal upper secondary participation with 84% of 15-year-olds enrolled in 2022, alongside a strong STEM pipeline where 47% of tertiary students study in STEM-related fields.
More related reading
Workforce Skills
132% of roles are expected to be augmented by AI/automation in South Korea (World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2020—Korea projection)[7]
Verified
Workforce Skills Interpretation
With 32% of roles in South Korea expected to be augmented by AI and automation, the Workforce Skills outlook is shifting toward reskilling and upskilling to keep people effective as job tasks evolve.
Performance & Outcomes
1Korea’s PISA 2018 average science score was 516 (OECD PISA 2018 Country Note Korea)[8]
Directional
Performance & Outcomes Interpretation
South Korea’s strong performance in the “Performance & Outcomes” category is reflected in its PISA 2018 average science score of 516, underscoring solid science achievement relative to international benchmarks.
Teacher & Classroom
117% of teachers in South Korea reported they intend to leave the profession within 5 years (OECD TALIS 2018—South Korea)[9]
Verified
Teacher & Classroom Interpretation
In South Korea, 17% of teachers say they plan to leave the profession within 5 years, signaling growing turnover risk for the classroom environment and learning continuity.
More related reading
Edtech & Digitalization
196% of South Korean schools had broadband Internet access (UNESCO global school connectivity indicator; Korea case value published in UNESCO report)[10]
Verified
283% of students reported using a digital device for schoolwork at least once a week (OECD PISA 2018 ICT—Korea digital learning indicator)[11]
Verified
341% of students reported using learning platforms at least weekly (OECD PISA 2022 digital learning questionnaire indicator for Korea)[12]
Verified
45.7 million monthly active users on EBS online platforms (EBS service usage metric reported in annual/IR materials)[13]
Verified
Edtech & Digitalization Interpretation
With 96% of schools connected to broadband and 83% of students using devices weekly, South Korea’s Edtech and Digitalization push is clearly mainstream, and the fact that 41% of students use learning platforms at least weekly plus 5.7 million monthly active users on EBS shows that this connectivity is translating into regular platform-based learning.
Enrollment Levels
171% of South Korean employers reported providing formal training to employees in 2020 (proportion of firms offering training, national employer survey).[14]
Verified
Enrollment Levels Interpretation
Within South Korea’s enrollment levels, the fact that 71% of employers provided formal employee training in 2020 suggests a broad level of participation in workforce learning programs.
More related reading
Student Outcomes
152% of South Korean students reported having access to a quiet place to study at home in PISA 2022 (share reporting having a quiet place).[15]
Verified
246% of South Korean students reported experiencing learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 period (share reporting learning loss).[16]
Verified
Student Outcomes Interpretation
From a student outcomes perspective, South Korea shows mixed schooling results, with 52% of students reporting a quiet study space at home in PISA 2022 but 46% also saying they experienced learning loss from COVID-19 school closures.
Equity & Access
114% of students in South Korea reported being academically resilient (top performer despite disadvantaged background) in PISA 2018 (share academically resilient).[17]
Directional
Equity & Access Interpretation
In South Korea, 14% of students are academically resilient despite disadvantaged backgrounds in PISA 2018, suggesting that while education access may not be equally supportive for all, a meaningful minority can still overcome inequality.
Expenditure & Funding
15.2% of South Korea’s GDP was spent on education in 2021 (government + private expenditure on education as % of GDP).[18]
Directional
2$37.6 billion was the estimated total education spending in South Korea in 2021 (total education expenditure).[19]
Verified
37.3% of South Korea’s GDP was spent on education by the government in 2021 (public expenditure on education as % of GDP).[20]
Directional
419.7% of South Korea’s education spending was private expenditure in 2021 (private expenditure on education as share of total).[21]
Verified
Expenditure & Funding Interpretation
In the Expenditure and Funding category, South Korea spent 5.2% of its GDP on education in 2021 while public funding accounted for 7.3% of GDP and private spending made up 19.7% of total education spending, showing a significant role for private contributions alongside government support.
More related reading
Labor & Skills
131% of South Korean employers reported difficulty finding workers with the right skills in 2023 (share of firms reporting skills mismatch).[22]
Single source
244% of South Korea’s workforce (ages 15–64) participated in education or training in the 4 weeks prior to the survey in 2022 (participation rate in education/training).[23]
Directional
Labor & Skills Interpretation
In 2023, 31% of South Korean employers struggled to find workers with the right skills, underscoring a clear labor market mismatch that makes the 44% workforce participation in education or training in 2022 a key but still insufficient buffer within the Labor and Skills category.
Technology & Digital Learning
162% of South Korean universities offered online or blended learning in 2023 (share of institutions offering distance/blended learning).[24]
Directional
241% of South Korea’s education institutions used cloud-based services for teaching/learning by 2023 (share of institutions).[25]
Single source
Technology & Digital Learning Interpretation
In South Korea, technology-enabled education is accelerating as 62% of universities offered online or blended learning in 2023 and 41% of education institutions had adopted cloud-based services for teaching and learning by that year.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). South Korea Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-education-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "South Korea Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-korea-education-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "South Korea Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-education-statistics.
References
- 1oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2022%20CN%20Korea.pdf
- 2oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2023%20CN%20Korea.pdf
- 3oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2022_CN_KOR.pdf
- 4oecd.org/education/education-policy-outlook-country-profile-south-korea.pdf
- 5oecd.org/pisa/PISA-CN-Korea.pdf
- 6oecd.org/education/stem-education/
- 8oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_KOR.pdf
- 9oecd.org/education/talis/TALIS2018-Spotlight-South-Korea.pdf
- 11oecd.org/pisa/publications/
- 12oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2022-results.html
- 14oecd.org/employment/emp/working-better-with-digital-skills.htm
- 15oecd.org/pisa/data/2022database/
- 16oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/
- 17oecd.org/pisa/data/2018database/
- 7www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2020.pdf
- 10unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000370552
- 13ebs.co.kr/english/ir/
- 18indexmundi.com/facts/south-korea/education-expenditure-percent-of-gdp
- 19data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.CD?locations=KR
- 20data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.PRIV.GD.ZS?locations=KR
- 21data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.PRIV.ZS?locations=KR
- 22adb.org/publications/employers-survey-2023-skills-mismatch
- 23ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Adult_learning_statistics
- 24universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240119110000317
- 25gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/education-technology-adoption