The educational system of Korea consists of six years of primary school, three years of middle school, three years of high school and four years of university (or two years of college). The six-year curriculum of primary schools and the three-year curriculum of middle schools are operated as mandatory education, and tuition is free during this period. A school year is divided into two semesters. After the spring semester ends, there is about a month-long summer vacation. After the fall semester ends, there are two months of winter vacation and year-end holidays before the new academic year begins. The spring semester begins at the end of February or in early March, and the fall semester begins at the end of August or in early September.

Primary School Education

• Candidates for Elementary School Admission
  • Children who will reach the age of 6 in the same calendar year as the year of admission
  • Including: children who reached the required age in the previous year, but for whom mandatory education was postponed
  • Excluding: children already enrolled through early admission
    • Children who were born between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2003: admission as new students for 2010
    • Children who were born between Jan. 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2004: admission as new students for 2011
• Admission Process for Elementary School

  The elementary school admission process can be summarized in the five following steps.

  

  National elementary schools are elementary schools annexed to teachers’ colleges or colleges of education. The admission process for national and private elementary school is somewhat different from that for public schools. As national and private elementary schools select new students earlier than public schools, students who do not wish to enter national and private schools may choose to attend public schools.

• Early Admission · Postponed Admission · Additional Admission
  • Early Admission: Children who reach the age of 5 from Jan 1 to Dec 31, and wish to be admitted early (1 year early admission only)
    • Children born between Jan. 1, 2004 ~ Dec 31, 2004 can apply for admission in 2010.
  • Postponed Admission: Children reaching the age of 6 during the calendar year, but who wish to postpone admission to the next year
    • For the new class of 2010, children who were born between Jan. 1, 2003 ~ Dec 31, 2003, and who wish to postpone admission to 2011 (enroll on March 1, 2011) are eligible.
  • Application process: The parent or guardian of the child must submit the application for early admission or postponed admission to the head of the competent eup, myun, or dong.
  • Application Period: October 1 ~ December 31 every year
  • Additional admission: This term refers to the admission of a child who reached the age of admission, but who was exempted or omitted due to special circumstances such as illness, unavoidable cause (disappearance, missing, etc.), residing outside of Korea, or being a child of Korean nationals living abroad.
• Guidelines for elementary school transfers and entry
  • Processing authority : elementary school assigned by school district (dong) office
  • School transfer procedure : if due to change of address, the student should report to the school designated in the transfer application report issued by chief of the district (dong) office.
  • Transfer time : year-round (except at the end of sixth grade due to assignment to middle school).
    • Jeju Floor: 12 December (New school admissions related assignments in consultation with the local school district).
    • In the jurisdiction of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province: until the end of December (consultation required with regional education authority regarding middle school assignment).
    • Transfers between city and province: until December 20th (consultation required with regional education authority regarding middle school assignment).
  • Required items
    • Transfer of resident registration application report issued by chief of the district (dong) office you were residing in.
    • Stamp/Seal of the student's parents
• Please deliberate carefully, as early and postponed admissions are both decisions that can be made solely ! by the parents, not by the school authorities.
• Admission of a child whose registration is cancelled, who is not registered, orwho is illegally residing in Korea
  • The heads of all eups, myuns, and dongs work closely with school principals to provide mandatory education for all children, regardless of their visa status. Therefore, children with cancelled registration, or who are not registered, or who are illegally residing in Korea, are still eligible for education.
  • Preschool children are granted admission after confirming the fact of residence with basic livelihood security number, rental contract, written confirmation of residence, certificate of family relationship, verification of immigration, verification of foreigner registration, etc.

Middle School Education

The middle school curriculum consists of a three-year program. Its subjects include Korean, social studies, mathematics, science, technology and engineering, domestic sciences, P.E., music, arts and foreign language (English). Students are assigned to attend the nearest middle school to their home, and like primary school education, middle school education is mandatory. Parents may be penalized if they do not allow their child to attend middle school.

• Academic Programs and Courses The middle school curriculum adopted a system to accommodate different levels of students, and to maximize potential and learning efficiency of each student by catering to individual demands, abilities, aptitudes and interests. In grades 7 ~ 9, Math and English courses are categorized within a step-level curriculum, while Korean, social studies and science are categorized as advanced/extra level curriculum.

High School Education

High school education is a three-year program. High schools are divided into general high schools, vocational high schools, science high schools, and high schools with specific programs. Students are able to enter science high schools and high schools with specific programs by taking an entry exam. For other high schools, students will be assigned a local high school depending on their residence based on a lottery system. High school education is not compulsory, and as such students must pay for their own tuition. Tuition differs depending on the district and the characteristic of the school, but it is generally 400,000 won for three months, except for Science Schools and High Schools with Specific Programs.

• Types of High Schools
  • General High Schools In the first year, students take classes including Korean language arts, ethics, social studies, mathematics, science, practical education, physical education, music, art, and English. In the second and third year, students may choose specific curricula in consideration of their own aptitude, capability and future career plans.
  • Vocational High Schools Vocational high school is an employment educational institution that offers specified education and secondary general education at an intermediate level. In the first year, students take classes including Korean language arts, ethics, social studies, mathematics, science, practical education, physical education, music, art, and English. In the second and third year, students choose their own specified curricula. Majors include agriculture, manufacturing, industry, business, fisheries/ shipping, and housekeeping. More majors are available, such as information technology (IT), robotics, animation and film, cooking, beauty, and tourism
  • Science High Schools Science high schools aim to identify gifted students at an early age and guide them in developing their abilities. Those who have finished the curriculum of two years or more at a science high school are given the right to apply for an undergraduate program at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology or other available colleges.
  • High Schools with Specific Purposes High schools with specific purposes include foreign language high schools, art high schools, and physical education high schools. High schools with specific< purposes are open to all students with special talents in foreign language, music, art, athletics, or dance.
• Current situation of general high schools in the standardization region

  Current situation of general high schools in the standardization region

  School	Gender	Location	Phone
  Jeju Jaeil High School	M	Nohyeong-dong 810, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	746-9362~4
  Jeju Jungang Girls High School	F	Ido-2-dong 612, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	756-5682
  Ohyun High School	M	Hwabok-1-dong 4675, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	755-4260
  Jeju Girls High School	F	Ara-1-dong 2360, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	702-3762
  Shinseong Girls' High School	F	Youngpyeong-dong 2460, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	724-7313~5
  Daykey High Schoolity High School	M	Bonggae-dong 1800, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	721-5142~4
  Namnyeong High School	Co-ed	Yeon-dong 2288, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	742-1711
  Jeju National Univers High School	Co-ed	Yongdam-3-dong 581, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	711-2412

University Education

Korea has both four-year universities and two-year colleges. Four-year universities usually provide major programs foradvanced studies, while two-year colleges usually provide raining programs focused on vocational ability. Universities are also categorized into regular universities, universities with special purposes, and special universities, according to the purpose behind their establishment. Universities with special purposes include universities of education, open universities, digital universities and universities of science and technology, while special universities include military academies, police academies and tax accountants’ academies. To be admitted to a university, students are required to sit the annual university entrance examination, and may apply for the university of their choice based on the examination results. As the candidate screening criteria varies by university, students must meet the specific qualifications announced by each university. Students may apply for special admission for foreign residents if their parents are both foreigners.

• Types of Higher Education

  Higher education includes 4-year general colleges or universities, vocational colleges, teachers’ colleges, broadcast and correspondence colleges, cyber colleges, specialized colleges offering two or three-year courses, and polytechnic colleges.

  • General Universities/Colleges Offer various majors Have the highest high school graduate admission rate
  • Vocational Colleges Aim to develop industrial engineers
  • Teachers’ Colleges Train students to become primary school teachers
  • Specialized Colleges Train students to develop expertise in various fields
  • Broadcast & Correspondence College and Cyber Colleges Offer remote education through communication media, including TV, radio, and computer
  • Polytechnic Colleges Train students to become professional technicians in various fields
• University and Colleges in Jeju
  • Jeju National University
    • Location : 102 Jejudaehak Road (Ara 1-dong, Jeju National University), Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
    • TEL : 064-754-2114  FAX : 064-755-2114
    • Website : http://www.jejunu.ac.kr/_html/eng/main.jsp
  • Tamna University
    • Location : 2870 516 Road (Yeongpyeong-Road), Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
    • TEL : 064-735-2031~2, 064-754-0207~8  FAX : 064-735-2022
  • Jeju International University
    • Location : 2870 516 Road (Yeongpyeong-Road), Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
    • TEL : 064-735-2031~2, 064-754-0207~8  FAX : 064-735-2022
  • Cheju Halla College
    • Location : 38 Halladaehak Road, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
    • TEL : 064-714-7575  FAX : 064-747-3989
    • Website : http://www.hc.ac.kr/eng/halla/
  • Cheju Tourism College
    • Location : 2535 Gwangryeong 2-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
    • TEL : 064-740-8700  FAX : 064-748-2829
    • Website : http://global.ctc.ac.kr/eng/