Why Do South Koreans Spend So Much Money on Private Supplementary Tutoring? Motivations and Policy Implications

Abstract

Investments in education are to be positive for the individual and to tend to be perceived as the wider good of society. However, the South Korean government is seeking to diminish the amount that families expend on private tutoring due to the excessive financial burden it places on households and the negative implications it may have for society. Despite these regulations, household expenditures on supplementary tutoring are on the rise in Korea, and this follows a wider trend of consumers choosing private tutoring worldwide. Why would consumers spend excessive money on the private supplementary tutoring despite its negative consequences on their own household finances? We conducted qualitative interviews with parents and children who purchase and use the private supplementary tutoring. We then conceptualized the consumption motivation for private supplementary tutoring, building on theories of attribution, status competition, and institutionalization. We also identified hidden motivations and discussed the policy implications of the findings.