50 million crash... South Korea's population was only 49.85 million last year
Lee Man-yong, a huge primitive figure installed at the entrance of the Prehistoric Park in Daegu-gu, Daegu, began to respond to the population crisis. Photo courtesy of Darcy District)
Due to the low birth rate, the number of Koreans living in South Korea (including foreigners who have stayed in Korea for more than three months) fell below 50 million for the first time in six years. It is predicted that 18 years later, by 2042, that number will fall below 47 million. In particular, the proportion of South Korea's working-age population (15 to 64 years old) is expected to drop from the current 70% to 55% by 2042.
At the same time, for the first time in history, the number of elementary school students in South Korea has dropped below 400,000 this year! With the number of students enrolled in the school declining, the number of newly hired elementary school teachers has continued to decline since 2014, from 63.9% in the 2018 school year to 43.6% in the 2024 school year, making half of the graduates of junior elementary education majors unable to find jobs.
In response to the rapid decline in the school-age population, the Ministry of Education announced on April 11 that it would reduce the number of students enrolled in the education departments of each university by 12% starting in the 2025 academic year, including the Faculty of Elementary Education of the University of Education, the Department of Elementary Education of the Korea University of Education, and the Elementary School Teacher Training Institute of the Faculty of Education of Jeju University. Starting in the 2025 academic year, the number of places enrolled will be reduced from 3,847 to 3,390. The Department of Elementary Education (39 students), a private university, will be excluded from the control and will be left to the discretion of the university. This is the first time in 13 years since 2012 that the Ministry of Education has reduced the number of places for education-related majors.
In addition to policy-level adjustments, South Korean society is also paying attention to changes in individual career choices. In recent years, more and more young people have begun to pursue their interests and dreams rather than high-paying careers in the traditional sense.
The genius young man gave up medicine to become a carpenter
Recently, a young man in his 30s was admitted to Seoul National University after repeating his studies, but in the process of finding himself, he finally left school and chose the path of a carpenter.
He is a talented person who was admitted to the Department of Liberal Majors at Seoul National University in 2012, named Zhang. At that time, after he repeated, he only answered 4 questions incorrectly in the college entrance examination and achieved excellent results. It is said that his results can be admitted to all universities and all majors in the country, including the Seoul National University School of Medicine. His friends persuaded him to study medicine. But Zhang said: "One of the reasons for choosing a medical university is a stable income. I don't have much desire for money, the most important thing is to do what I love. As long as you do what you like, the money will follow. ”
Zhang also said: "The things I like are all things outside the school, so I don't have any nostalgia for the school." ”
After that, Zhang joined the band for musical activities. In addition, he became interested in handmade beer, so he made and taught beer for 5 years. He explained that he later became interested in interior decoration and began his life as a carpenter by renovating the house on his own.
Zhang's current daily salary is 150,000 won. He is said to be happy with his choice.
"Usually people have their own jobs and things they like, but I'm not good at those," Zhang said. "Whatever I want to do, I have to make it my job," he says, "and if [career and interests] are separated, it may not be happy." ”
Aside from this aspiring youth, South Korea's "medical school fever" is still getting worse year by year, but the evaluation of universities in the fields of medicine and pharmacy is declining...
2024QS Rankings
Among the 39 medical schools in South Korea, the highest-ranked school is Seoul National University (47th). This is a drop of 10 places compared to last year's 37th place. This is the lowest ranking in the last five years. In Asia, it lags behind the National University of Singapore (18th), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (28th) and Peking University (36th). Yonsei University (56th→ 74th), Korea University (130th→ 150th), and Sungkyunkwan University (94th → 174th) also fell in the rankings from last year.
(Chosun Ilbo)
Korean medical treatment techniques are considered world-class, especially cancer treatment techniques. However, South Korea's low evaluation of its research capabilities compared to clinical capabilities has made it difficult for Korean medical schools to gain traction in the evaluation of world universities. Shin Chan-so, a professor at Seoul National University School of Medicine, said, "South Korea has good treatment technology, but it still lacks the research capacity to translate this technology into excellent papers or patents." ”
At the same time, we have to pay attention to the new dynamics of college admissions for the upcoming 2025 academic year. With the increase in the number of top-ranked universities that have newly established minimum academic achievement standards for the college entrance examination, the importance of the CSAT in admissions has become increasingly prominent. This not only reflects the importance that colleges and universities attach to academic ability, but also indicates that future university admissions will pay more attention to the balance between academic performance and comprehensive quality. This change is not only a comprehensive consideration of students' abilities, but also a further pursuit of educational equity.
What are the priorities for college admissions in 2025
One of the features of university enrollment for the 2025 academic year is an increase in the number of top-ranked universities that have newly established minimum academic achievement standards for the gaokao. Typical examples include Korea University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Hanyang University. Yonsei University and Hanyang University are in the process of establishing new minimum academic achievement standards for CSAT recommended admissions. With the establishment of the new CSAT minimum academic achievement standards in major universities, the influence and importance of CSAT in rolling enrollment this year have been further enhanced.
(图源:Electronic Newspaper)
According to the Ministry of Education's policy of "Expanding the Selection of Non-majors (Independent Selection of Majors)", many universities plan to carry out non-major course selection or expand the enrollment scale of existing liberal arts majors from 2025 academic year. Seoul National University is considering a plan to transfer the Department of Free Majors to the Undergraduate College and expand it to about 400 students. Hanyang University plans to set up a "Hanyang International College" to select 330 students.
In addition, it is reported that Sogang University, Yonsei University, Korea University, and Sungkyunkwan University are also reviewing matters related to non-major selection. If the non-professional selection is expanded, the number of places in other admissions units will be reduced accordingly, which is expected to lead to an overall change in the number of students, while it is also expected that candidates' applications will be affected, depending on the specific situation. The proportion of non-majors chosen by each university and the nature of the major.
Demographic and educational changes in South Korea have put forward new requirements for students and parents to make educational choices. To ensure a child's future, it is necessary to plan for the long term, develop an adaptable education system that respects the child's individual interests, values basic education, and pays attention to his or her psychological and emotional development. Policymakers and parents also need to pay attention to and adapt to changes in education policies to create a better educational environment for their children.