HOW KOREA BECAME THE MOST EDUCATED NATION(광복 80년 한국을 만든 교육정책)(영문판)

Part I Universal Primary Education and Establishing the Foundation of the Education System (1945-1960) 19
1 Duty or Right?: Compulsory Primary Education 21
2 Land Reform and Expansion of Secondary Education Opportunities: Private School Policy 27
3 Investing First in Human Resources: The Minnesota Project and SNU 33
4 Brain Drain or Brain Gain: Overseas Study 40
5 Standardized Knowledge: Free Textbook Policy 45

Part II Expansion of Secondary Education and Fostering Vocational Secondary Systems (1961-1979) 49
6 Expanding and Diversifying Opportunities in South Korea: Universalization and Equalization of Secondary Education 51
7 Excellent Teachers Anywhere: Teacher Qualification and Rotation System 58
8 "Grandfather President, I Want to Study!": Night Study at Factory Schools 63
9 Vocational High School Development: The Engine of Industrialization 68
10 National University Specialization: Supporting Regional Industrial Clusters 74
11 "I Want to Be a Scientist": Science Education Policy 81

Part III Improvement of K-12 Conditions and Expansion of Higher Education Opportunities (1980-1992) 87
12 The Failure of the Graduation Quota System: From Elite to Mass Education 89
13 Abolition of University-Specific Exams: Increasing Social Mobility 98
14 The "Butterfly Effect" of Private Tutoring Ban: Expansion of Scholarships for the Disadvantaged 105
15 Securing Stable Education Finance: Education Tax and Local Finance Grants 112
16 The First Open University in Asia: Korea National Open University 118
17 One Talented Individual can Feed the Nation : Gifted Education 123
18 Employment Matters More Than Degrees: Development of Junior Colleges 130
19 Reforming the Elementary Teacher Training System: Securing Excellent Teachers 135
Part IV Democratization, Deregulation, and Introduction of Competitive Systems (1993-1997) 143
20 From Regulation to Autonomy: The May 31 Education Reform 145
21 Deregulation in University Establishment and Enrollment Quotas: The Limits of Market Principles 152
22 Who Builds the Schools Next to Apartment Complexes?: School Site Charges 159
23 Beginning of Performance-Based Funding: Competitive Financial Support 165

Part V Innovation, Informatization, and Strengthening Equity Policies (1998-2007) 179
25 The Beginning of Higher Education Innovation: Brain Korea 21 181
26 The Most Computer-Literate Nation: Education Informatization 190
27 Why Does the State Intervene in Freshman Admissions? The "Three No's" Policy 196
28 A Bachelor's Degree Without University: Credit Bank System 203
29 Linking Universities and Industries: The LINC Project 208
30 Attracting International Students: "Study in Korea" 215
31 It Takes a Whole Village: Educational Welfare Priority Investment Areas 222
32 Pushing Ahead Despite Strong Opposition: Law School Reform 227
33 Absorbing Private Tutoring Demand: After-School Programs 232

Part VI Building an Advanced Education System for Global Standards and New Environments (2008-2017) 239
34 "No One Should Be Unable to Attend University Due to Poverty": Korea Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF) 241
35 Seeking Post-Semiconductor National Drivers : Nurturing Talent for New Growth Engines 248
36 From Lunch boxes to Universal Welfare : Universal School Meals 256
37 Presidentially Endorsed Vocational Education with a 100% Employment : Meister High Schools 261
38 A Double-Edged Sword: National Assessment of Achievement 267
39 Internationalizing Higher Education: World Class University (WCU) Initiative 274
40 Consolidating Oversight for Quality : Early Childhood Education 281
41 "Foreign Universities in Korea?": Approval of Foreign Educational
Institutions in Korea 286
42 Toward a Happy Education: The Free Semester System 291
43 Is It Too Early for College Students to Start Businesses?: Institutionalization
of Entrepreneurship Education 298
44 Linking Financial Support to Structural Reform: University Restructuring
and the PRIME Project 305
45 Responsibility in the International Community : Global Citizenship
Education(GCED) 312
46 "Can't We Give Teachers Gifts on Teachers' Day?": Establishing a Culture of
Integrity 317

Part VII Digital Convergence and Global Responsibility (2017-Present)
323
47 Breaking Boundaries Through Digitalization: Convergence Innovation
Universities in Advanced Fields 325
48 "Now, for Us Too": Free High School Education 332
49 "We Must Befriend AI": AI-Based Education 336
50 Becoming a Donor Nation: Korea's Educational ODA 342

CLARA MEEKYUNG SHIN Driven by a deep gratitude for the power of education and a lifelong passion for its transformative role in South Korea's development, The author has served in the Korean government for 25 years, working in the field of education policy.
She has shaped key educational policies at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Ministry of Education. Her global expertise was further honed during her diplomatic service at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Russian Federation and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). She currently serves as the Dean of Administration at Kangwon National University, where she leads regional higher education innovation.
As a dedicated scholar and practitioner, her research focuses on the historical synergy between South Korean education policy and economic growth, sharing the inspiring story of Korean education with the world.
She holds a bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree from Seoul National University.