South Korea to Disclose Regional, School-Specific Uniform Costs for Transparency

In response to concerns about the high cost of school uniforms, the South Korean Ministry of Education is taking a significant step towards greater transparency by implementing a system to publicly disclose uniform prices across different regions and individual schools. This move comes in the wake of President Lee Jae-myung's pointed remarks regarding the burden of expensive uniforms and potential collusion among uniform suppliers.

A comprehensive survey of 5,687 middle and high schools revealed that a vast majority, 95.6%, mandate uniforms for their students. The survey also highlighted a considerable disparity in the number of uniform items required and, more critically, the unit prices. For instance, a standard suit-style winter shirt, while averaging 43,460 won, exhibited a staggering price range from 10,000 won to 178,000 won depending on the school. The Ministry acknowledged these "unreasonable price discrepancies" in item costs, noting that prices for items with a high likelihood of additional purchases tend to be set higher.

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The price variations by region and school, as well as the pricing of items with a high possibility of additional purchases, show unreasonable discrepancies.

To empower parents and the public with information, the Ministry of Education will begin publishing detailed data on its website and those of provincial/metropolitan offices of education by the end of May. This initial release will cover the 2025 academic year's uniform costs, including types of uniforms, contract methods, winning bids, and unit prices for individual items. By June, information on the 2026 academic year's uniform operations, such as types, unit prices, and purchasing methods, will be available on individual school websites. Furthermore, the 'School Reporter' information disclosure portal will be enhanced in September to include more detailed data, such as uniform types, per-student subsidies, supplier information, and itemized unit prices, expanding beyond the current basic information on uniform adoption and winning bids.

These transparency measures are part of a broader strategy announced by the Ministry to stabilize uniform prices. This includes encouraging the reduction or phasing out of formal suit-style uniforms in favor of more practical, casual wear items like hoodies, pants, and t-shirts, for which price ceilings will be set starting with the 2027 academic year. The Ministry also aims to diversify supply sources by promoting the involvement of cooperatives and cracking down on unfair practices like bid-rigging, signaling a concerted effort to make school uniforms more affordable and accessible for all families.

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We will provide the results of the 2025 academic year school uniform cost survey and data on regional uniform types, contract methods, winning bids, and unit prices for each item on the websites of the Ministry of Education and each provincial/metropolitan office of education.