Many people know the main driving force behind the Korean economy is human capital. During the post-war period, the South Korean government actively implemented several programs to improve the quality of education. As a result of such initiatives as the Adult Literacy Campaign, the Investment to Improve School Conditions and the 6-Year Plan for Completing Compulsory Education, in the 1950s, the illiteracy rate among adults decreased by 42%. In the 1960s, Universal Primary Education was achieved, with more than 96% of children completing primary school.
The Korean government’s strategy for expanding the education sector was consistent. In the 1950–60s, the main focus was on expanding primary education. In the 1960–70s, the focus switched to secondary education. In the 1980s, the government launched the “massification” of higher education through market levers (increasing demand for higher education and technical specialties). As a result, in the 2000s, the university enrollment rate stood at more than 80%.
According to international studies, the main determinants of quality education in a country are choice and competition, decentralization and autonomy. There are about 200 universities in South Korea, most of which are private, significantly increasing competition and decentralisation.
Over the past years, in order to keep up with the times and be among the most advanced countries, the government has been investing massive resources in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), investing a trillion won in R&D.
