In a general sense, it would not be entirely misrepresentative to point out that in the vast majority of households in Korea, if you are born a son, the sincere hope and “shoot for the stars” objective of your parents would be for you to become the next president or, secondarily, end up in the vicinity, with expectations gradually and more pragmatically turning to more realistic ambitions of you becoming a doctor, lawyer or the like.
And so begins a lifelong journey of hypercompetition, where, truly, the only people that want you to do better than them are, indeed, your parents.
Perhaps the environment has been fostered from our history of challenges and division, or has resulted from associated growth pains due to our nation's unprecedented and exponential development within a relatively brief period, or more so from a heavily concentrated economy, resulting in a near zero-sum ecosystem for the segments of the market remaining open and available.
On a positive note, this resulted in Korea boasting one of the most educated and professionally apt populations in the world, with approximately 70 percent of Koreans aged 25-34 having completed tertiary education, the highest rate among OECD nations. This mindset has manifested globally, with Korean expats excelling both academically and professionally worldwide. Korean students also continue to rank near the top globally in mathematics, science, reading comprehension and problem-solving assessments, reinforcing the international perception of Korea as an educational and intellectual powerhouse.
