PSPD in English Socio-Economic 2011-02-15   3691

Publication of ‘A Country of Runaway Tuition- Skyrocketing Tuition’

Publication of ‘A Country of Runaway Tuition- Skyrocketing Tuition’



The book ‘A Country of Runaway Tuition-Skyrocketing Tuition’ has recently been published by the Tuition Network, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD) and the Korea Higher Education Research Institute(KHEI). This book seeks to uncover some controversial truths about tuition in Korea.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs(KIHASA), the total fostering expenses for a child in South Korea is estimated at 260 million won(US $230,700). As of 2009, the expense for studying a four-year college course accounts for 68.112 million won(US $60,436).

Based on data from 2009, the expenditure for a 4-year college student is 68,112,000 Korean won (US $ 6,192, this represents the biggest proportion of expenditure in bringing up a child from birth to her or his college graduation. Furthermore, this cost does not account for any temporary absence from college, extra years for college entrance exam or language training abroad, which would certainly add to the expenditure.


The minimum fostering expenses for a child is around 260 million won, and 520 million won for two children.

It is for this reason that many common people relent from having a family and underlines the reasons for many people concerns about “crazy” educational expenses and tuition fees in Korea; in fact, there are too many cases of families unable to support their children through tuition to count, Jang Ui-deok, the representative of the publisher ‘the Kaemagowon’ which published the book stated that there is no more suitable title for the book than ‘The Country of Crazy Tuition Fee’ in an age where basic tuition fees can come to around 10 million won per year  excluding an extra 20 million won for educational expenses each year. The National Network for Tuition Fee hopes to solve the problem of tuition fees and college educational expenses taking this publication as an opportunity to build a case for the future.
The People’s Solidarity and Participatory Democracy(PSPD) will conduct a “Hope” campaign for public welfare more passionately with hopes to dramatically reduces people’s burden and pain in the areas of  housing, education and medical services. Your having an interest and widely publicizing the book would be extremely beneficial to our cause.
We declare a war against the tuition fees!! The tuition fee is destroying people’s lives, vaporizes our parents’ plans for old age, mistreats the youth and eats away the future of the young. 

In spite of that, this important situation is being neglected. How long should we endure this ridiculous and nonsense situation?

You are going to realize that the reality of a ‘vulnerable youth’ caught in a trap of tuition fees is neither inevitable nor irresistible.

Half tuition fees, it is possible to do right now!




[The Country of Crazy Tuition Fee]

Planned by the National Network for Tuition Fees, and The People’s Solidarity and Participatory Democracy
Written by the Korea Higher Education Research Institute | the Kaemagowon


– Contents –

Preface: The tuition fee in the Republic of Korea is illegal
             by Ahn Jin-gul (the National Network for Tuition Fee)

I. All of us know, but nobody knows
  1. A monster that preys upon the future 
  2. Absurd reality, ridiculous logic
  3. Let’s get out of distorted tuition fees

II. Four reasons why we disagree with raising tuition fees
  1. The tuition fee in Korea is not expensive?
  2. When the tuition fee falls, the quality of education declines?
  3. Raising the fee because there is a room for it?
  4. College education for one’s success, so he(she) has to pay?

Ⅲ. Four misconceptions that interfere with solving the tuition fee problem
  1. The tuition fee can be solved by fixing rationally?
  2. There is no other way but the tuition fee?
  3. Donation admission system can solve the tuition fee problem?
  4. ‘Student loans’ are available?

Ⅳ. Advice for stabilizing crazy tuition fees
  1. A clue to the solution
  2. The policy of tuition fees should be changed fundamentally
  3. ‘Free college education’ doesn’t ruin the national economy
  4. ‘Half tuition fee’, Right Now!




translated by volunteer Kim Jiyeon
reviewed by volunteer Thomas Cowan
*You can be a volunteer for PSPD. (t3@pspd.org)

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