Blog: Reading beyond numbers - Literacy education and assessment in the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea is frequently introduced as a high-literacy country, supported by strong international assessment results, near-universal school enrolment and rapid digital adoption. These indicators are important, yet they tell only part of the story. Literacy is not experienced equally across the population, nor is it shaped by schooling alone.

The real story of literacy lies beyond the numbers. It is shaped by history, inequality, ageing and the evolving meaning of what it means to be literate in everyday life. In an ageing society marked by historical disruption and socioeconomic inequality, literacy reflects lived experience, social participation and access to learning opportunities across the life course. Understanding literacy in the Republic of Korea therefore requires moving beyond performance rankings. It requires attention to who benefits from educational success, who remains excluded and how literacy functions in everyday civic, social and digital life.

Read the full blog entry here.