In South Korea, questions about cram schools, success and happiness

ASIA PACIFIC

In South Korea, questions about cram schools, success and happiness

Students at a bus stop with an advertisement for instructors at a famous hagwon, or after-school cram school, in Gangnam, a wealthy part of Seoul on Jan. 28. Academic pressure has become so intense that even preschoolers are taking private extracurricular classes, raising worries about children's rights. | Jean Chung / The New York Times

By Max Kim
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Feb 5, 2026

SEOUL – For years, Lee Kyong-min’s life revolved around shuttling her two daughters from school to cram schools to home.

It was a routine followed by nearly every other parent she knew, all sharing the same goal: making sure their children got into South Korea’s best universities. The decisive element was their choice of hagwons, or private cram schools where students take extracurricular classes in math, Korean and English to prepare for the country’s infamously competitive college admissions exam.

Lee, a former advertising professional, and her husband, who works in finance, had enrolled their children in the best they could find. Seven days a week, she waited for them late into the night at cafes packed with other parents doing the same. Sometimes, she saw little children with schedules so packed that they juggled homework and dinner in those cafes before hurrying off to their next class.