Public Opinion Briefing Vol. 16-2: Changes in the Success Formula of Korean Society

Public Opinion Briefing Vol. 16: Changes in the Educational Environment and Strategic Choices of Education Consumers

[1] Educational Issues Require a Paradigm Shift - General Introduction by the Research Team

[2] Strategic Choices of Education Consumers: Overseas Study - Im Cheon-soon & Jeong Il-jun

[3] Early Study Abroad: How Far Will It Spread? - Seo So-jeong & Jeong Han-wool

[4] The Next Government's Educational Policy: A Multifaceted and Complex Approach is Urgently Needed - Im Cheon-soon & Kim Byung-guk

[5] Other Major Findings

2. Changes in the Success Formula of Korean Society: Diversifying Choices of Education Consumers and Overseas Study

Im Cheon-soon (Sejong University) & Jeong Il-jun (Korea University)

□ Changes in the Social Success Formula and Diversification of Educational Path Choices

- The formula 'Admission to a prestigious domestic university = Social success' is being shaken.

- The need for a new success formula is increasing, with overseas study/early study abroad emerging as new educational paths.

"Willing to send for early study abroad" 44.7%, among them 56.9% said "Will send even if admission to a prestigious university is possible" (1 out of every 4 people overall)

In 2006 alone, nearly 30,000 students departed for early study abroad, and when early language study abroad is included, the number of minors staying abroad long-term exceeded 100,000. The term 'educational exodus' is not an exaggeration. In this survey, 39.3% responded positively to the question about attitudes towards early study abroad, while 60.7% responded negatively. Meanwhile, when asked if they would send their children if conditions allowed, 44.7% of respondents answered affirmatively, and 55.3% answered negatively. Notably, among those who wish for their children to attend overseas universities, as many as 71.3% expressed willingness to send them for early study abroad. This suggests that early study abroad is perceived not just as English education or college entrance preparation, but as a stepping stone to attending overseas universities.

The primary reason for the growing positive public opinion towards early study abroad appears to be the reality that the past success formula, which equated 'admission to a prestigious university = social success,' is no longer applicable to certain social strata. In the past, admission to top-tier domestic universities guaranteed stable employment, a so-called 'prestigious university premium.' However, as this premium has weakened in the domestic job market, and demand for graduates from foreign universities has increased due to globalization, the existing success formula has begun to fade. In fact, according to data from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, among universities graduating over 3,000 students annually, the regular employment rate for the top 10 universities was only 63.2%, meaning four out of ten graduates secured non-regular positions or remained unemployed.

Of course, the influence of the prestigious university premium is still significant overall. 34.3% of respondents wish for their children to attend prestigious domestic universities. This is followed by 33.2% who prefer four-year universities in Seoul and the metropolitan area, while preferences for four-year provincial universities and two-year colleges were only 8.5% and 2.7%, respectively. However, it is confirmed that younger generations and white-collar professionals are increasingly incorporating foreign universities as a factor in their new success formula. While only 8.0% of all respondents wished for their children to attend foreign universities, there were significant variations by age and occupation. Among those in their 40s and 50s and above, the proportion hoping for foreign university admission was 3.4% and 4.4%, respectively. In contrast, for those in their 20s and 30s, these figures were 12.6% and 10.1%, showing a meaningful difference. Conversely, the proportion preferring prestigious domestic universities was 41.5% for those in their 50s and above, 35.0% for those in their 40s, and 35.8% for those in their 30s. However, this figure dropped significantly to 27.8% among respondents in their 20s. Among students, 14.7% hoped for overseas study, and 9.4% among white-collar workers did. This indicates a tendency, particularly among younger generations, to view overseas study as an alternative to attending prestigious domestic universities.

The evidence that the university ranking formula, centered on prestigious domestic universities, is changing is also confirmed in attitudes towards early study abroad. Among the 44.7% of respondents willing to send their children for early study abroad, a substantial 56.9% stated they would do so even if their child could gain admission to a prestigious domestic university. This means that, overall, one in four respondents perceives early study abroad as a necessary step in their child's educational path, regardless of admission to a prestigious university. In other words, a segment of the population is strategically choosing early and overseas study as part of a differentiated success strategy amidst an uncertain future and a competitive job market.

□ Changed Perceptions: Early Study Abroad/Overseas Study is Not a Byproduct of Public Education Failure

→ Normalizing public education cannot stop the 'educational exodus'.

The response from educational authorities and political circles to this phenomenon largely attributes it to the side effects of public education failure. This diagnosis of the cause often leads to the conclusion that 'public education must be normalized.' While debates ensue on whether the government should lead this normalization or if private institutions should expand their autonomy, both sides agree on attributing the problem's root cause to the failure of public education.

However, survey data on the perceptions of the public, the direct consumers of education, suggests that the diagnosis of public education dissatisfaction as the primary driver of increased early study abroad is not valid. Among respondents who expressed satisfaction with Korean public education, 45.0% showed a positive attitude towards early study abroad. Conversely, among those who expressed dissatisfaction with public education, only 37.1% responded positively to early study abroad. This indicates that attitudes towards early study abroad are divided due to factors separate from the overall evaluation of Korean public education or its system.

[Figure 1] Attitudes Towards Early Study Abroad and Willingness to Send Children for Early Study Abroad (%)

Note) Calculated after removing 'Don't know/No answer'

[Table 1] Desired University for Children by Age Group (%)

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Note) Calculated after removing 'Don't know/No response'.

[Figure 2] Change in Intention for Early Study Abroad Among Those Considering Elite University Admission (%)

Note) Calculated after removing 'Don't know/No response'.

[Figure 3] Differences in Attitudes Toward Early Study Abroad by Satisfaction with Public Education (%)

Note) Calculated after removing 'Don't know/No response'.