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23 English 'kindergartens' hit with penalties for level tests

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 16:31

The photo shows an English kindergarten in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on March 13. [YONHAP]

Twenty-three English kindergartens across Korea gave admission tests to preschoolers, the Ministry of Education said Thursday, calling for an end to a practice that fuels Korea's longstanding problem of early private tutoring.

The ministry, along with 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices, carried out a full inspection of 728 English kindergartens between May and July this year. Officials found 384 violations of education laws at 260 institutions, according to the ministry. This marked the first nationwide inspection of kindergartens.

English kindergartens in Korea are not regular kindergartens but private language institutes that promote English immersion programs and charge high tuition fees while marketing themselves as kindergartens.

Authorities issued 433 administrative actions, which included 14 suspensions, 70 fines, 248 penalty points or corrective orders and 101 guidance measures. Fifteen institutions received fines for illegally using the term "kindergarten" in their names, which they are not legally permitted to do.

The inspection found that 11 schools in Seoul, nine in Gyeonggi and three in Gangwon carried out level tests. The ministry classified all pre-admission testing as level tests, whether or not the exams determined admission.

The ministry stressed that inspectors based the findings on on-site checks rather than school owners' testimony, which it said increased reliability. Officials said, however, that the tally did not include tests conducted after students enrolled.

An English kindergarten sign hangs in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on March 13. [YONHAP]

Authorities plan to continue joint inspections for level tests with local education offices.

“Level testing of young children is not educationally appropriate,” an Education Ministry official said. “If the institutes do not comply with guidance, we may request additional inspections with agencies such as the Fair Trade Commission or the National Tax Service.”

The ministry is also reviewing legal revisions to curb abuses like the "exam at age 4."

It plans to actively participate in legislative discussions already underway in the National Assembly to amend the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons and the Public Education Normalization Act.

The ministry also pledged to expand the use of its illegal private education reporting center and strengthen enforcement through a reward system for tips.

The inspection excluded 26 schools that closed, 30 that did not offer classes and nine that shut down half-day programs — courses that operate only in the morning or afternoon.

As of May, there were 820 English kindergartens nationwide, down from 866 last year. The number had risen steadily from 718 in 2021 before declining this year.

The Education Ministry said it has not yet drafted plans to conduct similar full inspections of other types of preschools, such as math institutes.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]