Education Fever: Exploring Private Education Consumption Motivations Among Korean Parents of Preschool Children

Education fever, the national obsession with the attainment of education in Korea, has received attention from the media and researchers. However, research on Korean parents' investment in private education for their preschool children is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore what the consumption of private education means to Korean parents, and to identify factors motivating their consumption behavior. Focus group interviews with 23 Korean mothers of preschool children were conducted to identify why private education was important to them. The results of the interviews indicated that social norms emphasizing education, the social mobility acquired through education, and the mothers' dissatisfaction with social services were the key social factors motivating the mothers. Experiences from the mothers' own childhood as well as household resources were key personal factors.