Chungbuk Cheapest for Private Tutoring in Korea as Public-Education Reforms Roll Out

A 2025 nationwide survey on private after-school tuition for elementary through high school students shows that Chungbuk Province in central Korea has the lowest per-student monthly private tutoring cost among the four Chungcheong region jurisdictions, and ranks fifth-lowest across the country. The average for Chungbuk was 339,000 won per student per month, well below the national average of 458,000 won.

In the Chungcheong region, Sejong Special Self-Governing City recorded 458,000 won, Daejeon 443,000 won, and Chungnam (South Chungcheong) 345,000 won. The nationwide comparison covers Korea’s 17 states and metropolitan areas, highlighting how costs vary even within a relatively compact geographic area.

The participation rate in private tutoring in Chungbuk stood at 70.2%, which is 5.5 percentage points below the national average and down 4.1 percentage points from the previous year. The figures reflect not only household spending but the prevalence of private tutoring across age groups.

By school level, participation was highest among elementary students at 79.9%, followed by 68.9% for middle school and 53.8% for high school students. The pattern shows tutoring remaining most common for younger students, with a sharper drop as students progress.

Chungbuk’s provincial education office attributed the results to policy measures aimed at reducing private tutoring costs. Officials say improvements in public education trust, along with school-centered career guidance and tailored learning support, are taking root in classrooms and communities.

Education Superintendent Yoon Geon-yeong said the province would analyze the results to tailor tutoring-reduction strategies to Chungbuk’s characteristics. He emphasized a shift toward “practical education” that absorbs demand for private tutoring within the public system, with the aim of helping students discover their talents and potential at school.

For U.S. readers, the data offer a window into how Korea uses public education policy to tackle private tutoring costs and time pressures on families. Korea’s private tutoring market is a major sector of household spending and a notable feature of its education economy; shifts toward stronger public supports and targeted guidance could influence edtech demand, cross-border education services, and family budgeting pressures in other markets as policymakers grapple with cost, equity, and student outcomes.