Korean culture has been deeply influenced by Confucianism, which has resulted in a high level of enthusiasm for education. Since the liberation from Japanese imperial rule in 1945, Korean society has experienced socially and economically difficult periods throughout which education has played an important role. First, education has helped to emphasize the role of the citizen in a democratic society. Second, education also provides the tools for enhancing both personal and national growth. The OECD emphasizes the great importance of education in general, but it also promotes equity of educational opportunities because it recognizes the very clear correlation between the quality of life of both individuals and the society-at-large and over all educational accomplishments. In order to determine both the quality and the availability of educational opportunities in Korea, statisticians measure the ratio of citizen completing basic education from region to region as well as the correlation between educational accomplishments and the productivity of individuals and the country as a whole. Because Korea’s population is aging, there has been a decrease in the school-age population. In fact, the university enrollment quotas are expected to soon become larger than the number of secondary school students, which suggests that a restructuring of universities may become necessary.

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