Education
Education System
Elementary school (6 years) and middle school (3 years) are provided free of charge for all as compulsory education in Korea. Students should pay a tuition for their high school education (3 years) and decide whether or not to go to college. College education is divided into two or three-year junior college programs, and four-year college programs. Korea's school curricula mainly consist of elementary school, middle school, and high school. In addition, students may choose other types of education, such as special-education schools and technical schools. Higher-education institutions are divided into colleges, universities, graduate schools, and other types of educational institutions include junior colleges, universities of education, and vocational schools. Before entering elementary school, many kids receive a kindergarten education.
■Curricula of Korea
Elementary
School
(6-year
curriculum)
Compulsory
education
Middle
School
(6-year
curriculum)
Compulsory
education
High
School
(3-year
curriculum)
Elective
education
College
(2,3,4-year
curriculum)
Elective
education
Educational Institutions
1. Korean schools
In principle, the children of foreigners can enter a Korean school. If a student cannot speak Korean well enough, he/she may have difficulty adjusting to school in Korea. Therefore, it should be decided carefully after consulting with the educational institution. Korean schools can be classified into public schools and private schools. Tuition is free in public elementary schools, and students only pay for their school meals. On the other hand, the tuition at private elementary schools makes them much more expensive than public schools. Contact the Office of Education for your area for further information on entrance qualifications.
■Seoul Education Call Center: 02-1396
■Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education: www.sen.go.kr
2. Educational institutions for foreigners
■International kindergarten
School
Address
Contact Information
Early Childhood
Learning Center
12, Jangmun-ro 6-gil,
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
☎02-795-8418
www.eclcseoul.com [English]
■International schools
Entrance
qualifications
Required
documents
Entrance
exams
International schools are educational institutions for children of foreigners, children of Korean nationals who have returned to Korea after residing abroad for a certain period of time, and children of naturalized Korean citizens who have difficulty continuing their studies at a normal school. The tuition at international schools is generally more expensive than regular schools. To enter an international school, applicants should meet at least one of the following conditions.
Be a Korean national who has resided abroad for over three years;
One or both parents is a foreigner.
Certificate of entry into and departure from Korea, passport, medical records, certificate of registration and transcripts from the previous school, language exam results related to the country resided in, etc.
Each school may request different documents. Contact the school for details. You may have difficulty obtaining some documents in Korea. It is recommended that you prepare the required documents in advance in your home country or current country of residence.
Some schools may interview the student together with his/her parents and conduct an additional exam.
■International schools in Seoul (by location)
School
Address
Curriculum
Contact Information
Seoul Chinese
Primary School
Lycée International
Xavier
35, Myeongdong 2-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
02-776-1688
www.hanxiao.or.kr
[Chinese]
Kindergarten/
Elementary School
23, Bibong-gil,
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-396-7688
xavier.sc.kr
[Korean, English, and French]
German School Seoul
International
123-6, Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan-gu,
Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-792-0797
www.dsseoul.org
[German]
Global Christian
Foreign School
115, Dokseodang-ro,
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-797-0234
www.gcfskorea.org
[English]
Yongsan
International School
of Seoul
285, Itaewon-ro,
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-797-5104
www.yisseoul.org
[English]
Asia Pacific
International School
57, Wolgye-ro 45ga-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-907-2747
www.apis.seoul.kr
[English]
Korea Kent Foreign
School
13, Jayang-ro 35-gil,
Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-2201-7091
www.kkfs.org
[English]
International
Mongolia School
1, Gwangjang-ro 1-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-3437-7078
www.mongolschool.org
[Korean]
French School of
Seoul
7, Seorae-ro,
Seocho-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-535-1158
www.lfseoul.org
[French]
Korea Foreign School
7-16,
Nambusunhwan-ro 364-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-571-2917
koreaforeign.org
[English]
Dulwich College
Seoul
6, Sinbanpo-ro 15-gil, Seocho-gu,
Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-3015-8500
seoul.dulwich.org
[English]
Korea International
School
(Seoul Campus)
408, Gaepo-ro,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary School
02-3496-0510
www.kisseoul.or.kr
[English]
Seoul Foreign School
(SFS)
39, Yeonhui-ro 22-gil, Seodaemun-gu,
Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/High
School
02-330-3100
www.seoulforeign.org
[English]
Overseas Chinese
High School
Seoul, Korea
176, Yeonhui-ro,
Seodaemun-gu,
Seoul
Middle/High
School
02-335-7027
scs.or.kr
[Chinese]
Japanese School
in Seoul
11, World Cup Buk-ro 62-gil, Mapo-gu,
Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle School
02-572-7011
www.sjs.or.kr
[Japanese]
Dwight School
Seoul
21, World Cup Buk-ro 62-gil, Mapo-gu,
Seoul
Kindergarten/
Elementary/
Middle/ High
School
02-6920-8600
www.dwight.or.kr
[English]
※Visit the International School Information website (www.isi.go.kr) for further information on entrance procedures, tuition, etc.
3. Educational institutions for multicultural students
■Multicultural kindergartens
Multicultural kindergartens aim to provide equal opportunities for children of multicultural families by supporting their language education and basic learning. Multicultural kindergartens provide education adapted for the special circumstances of children from multicultural families, such as learning stage, multicultural characteristics, etc.
Kindergarten
Address
Contact
Information
Seoul Kunja Elementary School
Annexed Kindergarten
21, Hancheon-ro 6-gil,
Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
02-2212-8456
Seoul Daedong Elementary School
Annexed Kindergarten
6, Daerim-ro 21-gil,
Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
02-6379-6199
Seoul Younglim Elementary School
Annexed Kindergarten
6, Daerim-ro 21-gil,
Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
02-834-3041
Sinil Kindergarten
27, Dongho-ro 10-gil,
Jung-gu, Seoul
02-2234-4006, 3938
Yangmoon Kindergarten
644-1, Siheung-daero, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
02-834-6864
Hanil Kindergarten
5, Toegye-ro 88da-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
02-2235-0016
■Multicultural education schools
Multicultural education schools plan and operate a variety of multicultural education programs to raise all students' (both regular and multicultural students) multicultural awareness. These schools aim to stimulate multicultural education by sharing and widely promoting excellent cases of multicultural education.
Curriculum
School
Address
Contact
Information
Elementary
Schools
Seoul Guro
Elementary School
02-861-1941
9, Gurojungang-ro 27-na-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul
02-796-2167
Seoul Dongguro
Elementary School
Seoul Daedong
Elementary School
6, Daerim-ro 21-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
02-6379-6200
43 Gurojungang-ro 14-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul
02-853-2407
Seoul Munchang
Elementary School
14, Sindaebang 2-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
02-836-2031
Seoul Yongam
Elementary School
39, Noksapyeong-daero 60-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Seoul Chungmu
Elementary School
13, Toegye-ro 50-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
02-2279-4697
Seoul Kyeongsu
Elementary School
22, Ttukseom-ro 13-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
02-498-5123
Seoul Jangan
Elementary School
74, Gunja-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
39, Samyang-ro 74-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul
02-469-5264
02-864-4232
Seoul Suyu
Elementary School
Sunjung Middle
School
19, Seooreung-ro 20-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul
02-3156-1400
02-989-3724
The School of Global
Sarang
1189, Ori-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul
02-6910-1004
Guro Middle School
48, Gurojungang-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul
02-845-2171
Daerim Middle Shool
6, Siheung-daero 185-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Osan Middle School
17 Bogwang-ro 7-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
02-799-9400
All Love School
6-9 Gwangpyeong-ro 51-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
02-3445-5045
Middle
Schools
Sunjung High School
19, Seooreung-ro 20-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul
02-3156-1500
Seoul Dasom
Tourism High School
30, Jong-ro 58-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
02-6743-0501
Seoul Digitech
High School
27 Hoenamu-ro 12-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
02-798-3641
High
Schools
Source: Seoul Life Guide (Seoul Metropolitan Government),
Seoul Foreigner Portal