South Korea's austere education system, which has been both criticized and acclaimed for its inflexibly rigid structure, may possibly undergo drastic reform.�

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President Obama has held South Korea's education system in high regard, noting Korea's serious approach to educating the youngsters who will one day lead the nation, and even asserting that it needs to be emulated in other parts of the world. What the president fails to deliberate, possibly disenchanted by the flawed education system in the United States, is the fact that Korea's education system is one that needs work, as well. The comment from South Korea's previous president, Lee Myung Bak, that "Korean parents are too demanding" only serves to prove the less-than-perfect means through which Korea educates its young citizens.

It seems current South Korean president,�Park Geun Hye, agrees with Lee Myung Bak on this issue as she is now lobbying to implement a program that will place less emphasis on test scores and more on exploring various learning activities. This new system aims to provide middle schoolers with a 'test-free' semester. With this new program, students will partake in learning that is based on discussion, teamwork, experiments, and outdoor activities, rather than simply memorize words out of a textbook in order to cram for tests. Experts note that these new activities will foster students' creativity and critical thinking which for many decades have been stifled due to the strict, stringent methods of teaching. Currently, this new program is administered in 2,551 middle schools across the country, with about 80% of middle school students participating.�

President Park recently convened with key officials including those from the Education Ministry and stressed the need for this program to succeed, which will be a strong bellwether for the country's successful education reform and brighter future. The president also urged employers to hire future employees using the new National Competency Standards which focuses more on applicants' abilities to meet current work conditions.�