We all know that stereotype that Asians study a lot and Korea is no exception. Yet it seems like the Korean drive to succeed is taking a toll on wallets, as it has been revealed that the nation has spent over $18 trillion won ($18 billion USD) on private education in 2013. According to Education Minister Hwang Woo Yea, Korean parents need to spend less on sending their kids to private tutoring, particularly for English.

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According to the minister and his supporters, the reliance on private education is a problem because it creates an unfair playing field for non-wealthy families who can't afford the extra help. He believes that the issue lies with the English portion of college exams, as the subject is graded very harshly. English is, in fact, considered to be one of the most competitive subjects. Students and their parents believe that a less-than-amazing score for English means they have no chance in any elite university or any big, international company.

Korea thus goes crazy over studying English. Some estimate that an average student spends 20,000 hours (833 days) learning English from elementary school through college. A third of the $18 billion USD spent on private education in 2013 was spent on English alone.

The reform Minister Hwang proposes will make the grading for English less harsh, giving students a chance to score higher rather than resorting to private lessons. The Education Ministry has assured the public on the 26th that the reform is not yet set in stone, and that if any changes are made, they will be put into effect in three years, giving students time to adjust and prepare.

Oppositions against the reform state that it might not even make that much of a difference, considering that universities can always find ways to make the English portion of the college exams harder. This might also come as bad news for the private tutors themselves, as the private education business is lucrative for both Korean and non-Korean tutors alike.