"OO, did you get into Lete?"

"I'm in the Harvard class, what class are you in?"

"Mother, according to the Lete (Level Test) results, XX is assigned to the preparatory class."

"However, our center does not have a preparatory class... It seems you need to study more and come back for a retest."

"Mom, all my kindergarten friends are going to XXX Language Academy. Please send me too."

"Jamie and Tammy are in the top class, but I'm the only one in the Stanford class. What should I do?"

When children complete English kindergarten at age 7, they take entrance exams for well-known language academies around October to maintain and improve their skills. The level test conducted during this process is commonly referred to among parents as the '7-year-old exam.'

A building in the academy district of Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Various academies are densely packed inside.

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On May 23, at an English academy in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, a staff member was consulting with a parent over the phone. This English academy, which offers English writing, intensive reading of original texts, English debates, and native speaker classes, divides students into seven levels.

When the staff says 'preparatory class' or 'not offered,' it is another way of saying the academy cannot accept the student. If a student scores low, they cannot attend the academy even if they want to.

A person who previously worked as an instructor at a well-known language academy, referred to as A, said, "The academy deliberately makes the test difficult." They added, "The test is designed so that even students who have studied a fair amount cannot pass, and there's a business motive behind it."

They explained, "From the academy's perspective, it is a way to show off that 'students at our academy can solve even these kinds of problems,' and it makes parents feel pressured to enroll their children no matter what."

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The more difficult it is to pass the level test, the higher the 'prestige' of the academy. Academies that are harder to get into are perceived as more advanced. The name of the class a student attends effectively becomes a status symbol.

B, a real estate agent in Mokdong, said, "Here, it's common to see children asking each other, 'Did you pass the Lete?' or 'Which class are you in?'" They added, "Famous language academies divide classes into 'top class,' 'Harvard class,' and so on, based on students' abilities. According to parents, children compete with each other and sometimes beg to be sent to these academies."

A banner related to medical school entrance exams is posted on the exterior wall of an academy located in the Daechi-dong academy district, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

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This strategy by academies is proving effective. Among the parents who brought their children to take the level test, some muttered, "Is my child really that far behind?" while others advised, "Get private tutoring for the Lete." There were also parents blaming themselves, saying, "My child is good at speaking, but lacks in other areas."

At another English academy in Mokdong, a parent orientation held at 7:30 p.m. was so crowded there was barely room to stand. The session was led by a native English speaker, and parents nodded to show they understood.

The academy director said, "There are students in 6th grade and 1st year of middle school who are on the 'master track' (the highest level at the academy). At this level, they could already achieve a top score on the CSAT." One parent in their 40s who attended the orientation frowned and said, "My child is only at the basic level. What should I do?"

In math academies in Daechi-dong and Mok-dong, the curriculum was designed so that students could complete the high school math course twice before graduating from middle school.

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A franchise math academy headquartered in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, claims that its students complete the three-year middle school math curriculum in just 1 year and 2 months. The material that is normally covered in a semester at school is finished in just two months. Moreover, the 1st and 2nd year middle school curriculum is completed in eight months, and from the ninth month, students move on to the 3rd year curriculum.

According to the civic group "World Without Worries About Private Education," there are academies where students, starting from 5th grade in elementary school, finish the high school senior (3rd year) science track math curriculum by the time they are in 2nd year of middle school.

An academy official said, "In elementary school, it's possible to finish a semester's worth of material every two months, but starting in middle school, you have to prepare for internal assessments, so it takes longer."

Examinees are passing in front of an essay academy in Daechidong. Photo by Yonhap News

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The chain of advanced study continues with Korean language. Because there is not enough time in middle and high school, elementary students become the main target for reading and essay academies. To prepare for the CSAT Korean section, which now includes discussion-based and descriptive assessments, and as the reading passages on the CSAT get longer, essay, reading, and debate academies that emphasize literacy are thriving.

On top of this, rumors that the CSAT could switch to essay and descriptive formats starting with the 2032 academic year (for current 6th graders) have made parents and academies even busier.

In January this year, the Presidential National Education Commission (NEC) proposed introducing essay and descriptive assessments to the CSAT in its discussions on the reform of the college admissions system from 2028 onward. This is a huge opportunity for essay academies.

These days, even small tutoring centers in apartment complexes, as well as famous essay academies, have waiting lists. Jo Jungok (age 60), who runs an essay tutoring center, said, "All class slots are full," adding, "If needed, I can arrange one-on-one tutoring."

Shim Mincheol, Director of Talent Policy Planning at the Ministry of Education, is explaining the reform details at the 2028 College Entrance Examination System Reform Draft Public Hearing.

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Last year, spending on private education for elementary, middle, and high school students reached 29.2 trillion won, the highest ever. The proportion of students attending academies was also at an all-time high. Eight out of ten (80.0%) elementary, middle, and high school students were found to be receiving private education. In the academy industry, the main reason cited was the changes in the admissions environment following the expansion of medical school quotas last year.

The more the admissions system changes, the more anxiety grows among parents and students, and academies exploit this anxiety for profit.

Park Namki, Professor Emeritus at Gwangju National University of Education, said, "In Korea's winner-takes-all society, even if universities selected students by jump rope, the private education market would grow to teach more advanced jump rope skills." He emphasized, "Solutions such as addressing income gaps and polarization by company, occupation, and region need to be approached from multiple angles."

Lee Yejin, Research Fellow at the Busan Institute of Future Strategy, said, "We cannot simply blame parental ambition or competitiveness," adding, "It is the result of a public education and social system that cannot absorb this anxiety." She said, "Rather than having the courage not to provide private education, it is safer to choose it to relieve anxiety."