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Bill to let Seoul-based cram schools stay open late sparks 'fairness' debate

Published: 06 Nov. 2025, 19:26 Updated: 07 Nov. 2025, 17:00

The streets of Daechi-dong, southern Seoul, are filled with students in the evening in June 2024. The neighborhood is famed as a hagwon (private tutoring institute) zone. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

A bill has been put forward at the Seoul Metropolitan Council to allow hagwon (private tutoring institutions) to stay open until midnight. On one hand, experts argue that this will only aggravate the already fierce private education competition among students, while on the other, businesses claim it is unfair that only hagwon in Seoul are mandated to close earlier than those in other regions.

The ordinance, publicly announced on Oct. 28, would revise current regulations that limit hagwon classes for high school students in Seoul to 10 p.m., extending the allowable instruction time to midnight.

Jung Ji-woong, a People Power Party (PPP) councilor representing Seodaemun District 1 and sponsor of the bill, emphasized parity with other regions. According to Jung, other cities and provinces, including Daejeon, Ulsan, Jeju, Gangwon, North and South Chungcheong and North and South Gyeongsang already allow high school students to attend hagwon classes until midnight. In South Jeolla, the limit is 11:50 p.m., while Incheon, Busan and North Jeolla allow instruction until 11 p.m.

“I gathered opinions from parents who asked, ‘Why should only students in Seoul be disadvantaged when they have to compete with students nationwide?’” Jung told the JoongAng Ilbo. He added, “After 10 p.m., families with more financial resources can still afford private tutoring at home. In that sense, the current time limit discriminates against students from low-income households.”

The opposition argues otherwise. Education advocacy group World Without Worries for Private Education (translated) is planning to launch a campaign starting Nov. 10 to demand that the city council scrap the proposed ordinance. The group, alongside Democratic Party lawmakers from the National Assembly’s Education Committee, argues the ordinance is “anachronistic” and infringes on the basic rights of children and adolescents. A joint citizens' committee is being formed to organize press conferences and protest campaigns.

Hagwon (private tutoring institute) signs are seen outside a building in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul, on July 23, 2025. [WOO SANG-JO]

The opposition movement comes amid concern that the current composition of the council makes the ordinance likely to pass through committee and the full assembly. The Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Education Committee must review and vote on the bill before it proceeds to the full council. The PPP currently holds 75 out of 111 seats in the Seoul council and nine of 13 seats on the Education Committee, including the chairperson.

As debate intensified, the Korea Association of Hakwons echoed support for the bill. “It is unfair to regulate only hagwon while ignoring youth exposure to games or other harmful environments after midnight,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

Opponents remain concerned. Lawyer Moon Ja-won, a former teacher, cited a 2016 Constitutional Court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of local ordinances banning late-night hagwon instruction for elementary, middle and high school students. “If the revision passes, it could prompt more hagwon to extend hours, increasing anxiety among students,” Moon warned.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also expressed its stance recently, saying, “Maintaining the current 10 p.m. limit on tutoring hours is advisable.”

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 KIM MIN-SANG, LEE BO-RAM [[email protected]]