Lee, a 45-year-old working mom with a fifth-grade son, enrolled him in an English camp run by an international middle and high school starting on July 22.
The camp, which accommodates 384 fourth to sixth graders until Aug. 10, involves 20 days of dormitory life with 10 hours of daily English classes.
The camp fee is 4 million won ($3,100) per child. Lee said, “The schedule is tight, and the cost is high, but I thought it would be more motivating for my child than going from one crammer to another during vacation.”
As the summer vacation period approaches at the end of this month, private education is booming. English camps operated by prestigious schools and international schools started recruiting in May and filled up quickly.
These camps typically run for about three weeks and cost between 3.5 and 4 million won, including dormitory fees.
Some private crammers charge over 6 million won for a month’s participation in their English camps.
Private schools are also providing specialized classes exclusively during the vacation period. Overseas short-term study programs, which can cost millions of won, are also 커뮤니티 highly sought after.
An elite high school enrolled 350 fifth graders to second-year middle school students for an English camp running from July 21 to August 10. Despite the fee of 3.85 million won, registrations filled up just minutes after opening.
Another private high school’s English camp, priced at 3.99 million won, also filled its 300 slots, with over 100 students on the waiting list.
Choi, a 44-year-old homemaker who enrolled her second-year middle school child in an English camp, said, “Having my child at home during vacation leads to nagging and conflicts. We decided it was worth the money for the new experience.”