Date of Award

Spring 5-2026

Language

English

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

East Asian Studies

Advisor/Committee Chair

John Person

Abstract

South Korea’s education system is widely recognized for its academic excellence; however, this may highly impact students’ mental health and overall well-being, which can hinder their academic performance. Students are known to dedicate long hours of their day to their education, in addition to their daily academic schedules. This study focuses on how academic pressure, that is mostly driven by parents and educators, as well as traditional cultural values on education, affects the mental health of South Korean students. This thesis is divided into three sections: Historical and Cultural Contexts, South Korea’s Current Educational Environment, and Next Steps for South Korea’s Education System. Through historical and traditional cultural concepts such as Confucian ideology, which emphasizes that strong academic performance equals overall success, a foundation is laid for the high value placed on education in South Korean society. The thesis examines contemporary ideas that contribute to academic anxiety, such as the widespread implementation of hagwons (cram schools) in Seoul, South Korea, and how this has created competition among peers to achieve higher scores than the next person. Due to the time students must devote to their studies, most students, particularly college-level students, lack career interest or do not know what they want to do because of the pressure they face in academic settings. Additionally, the sudden shift to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown has intensified academic stress for students, as they were unable to participate in the classroom environment and engage in in-person social interaction with their peers, forcing them to learn from their bedrooms on their own devices. The quantitative studies in this thesis Boyland 2 emphasize that there is a connection between academic pressure and levels of depression and even suicide, particularly amongst college-level students. In response to these trends, South Korea has recognized the urgent need to develop better psychological resources and mental health services, including counseling. This has made these resources more widely accessible on campuses in South Korea and around the mainstream city areas, giving students the opportunity to seek them out if they wish. Lastly, this thesis discusses the education reforms that the South Korean government has implemented regarding regulating students’ mental health and overall well-being. Some of these reforms include limiting hagwon operating hours for students and expanding college admission requirements beyond students’ CSAT scores, indicating that standardized test scores do not capture the full academic picture of a student. Studies have shown that supportive family and educational environments positively impact a student’s academic performance and overall well-being, while still maintaining a strong strive towards high academic achievement. This correlation was found to stem from students’ early childhood experiences, as these shape their mindsets about education when they reach the college level. The research concludes that a student’s overall well-being depends on a balance between high academic performance and supportive family and educational environments.

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