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South Korean students' career dreams shift: Athletes top for youth, teachers for older students
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

South Korean students' career dreams shift: Athletes top for youth, teachers for older students

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • A 2025 survey found that the most preferred career for elementary school students in South Korea was 'athlete', while 'teacher' was the top choice for middle and high school students.
  • The proportion of high school students aspiring to attend university has decreased, with a notable rise in those planning to pursue employment or entrepreneurship.
  • The study also indicated that school career education is operating on a stable foundation, with increased budgets and a recovery in student satisfaction with career activities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In South Korea, the most desired profession for elementary school students in 2025 was 'athlete,' a shift from 'teacher' in 2015, according to a recent survey. 'Teacher' remained the top aspiration for middle and high school students for the 12th consecutive year. The survey, part of the 'Our Education Read Through Data' series by the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), also revealed 'creator' as the third most popular choice for elementary students, reflecting digital trends.

These changes align with policy directions that have strengthened student-led career and academic design.

— KEDIKEDI's analysis of the shift in student career aspirations and the role of educational policies.

More significantly, the desire for higher education among high school students is declining. Only 64.9% expressed a wish to attend university in 2025, a decrease from previous years. Conversely, the percentage of students planning to enter the workforce or start their own businesses has doubled and expanded, respectively. KEDI attributes this shift to educational policies that encourage student-led career planning, such as the revised curriculum and the high school credit system.

Students are proactively designing paths that suit their aptitudes and career goals, rather than solely focusing on university entrance.

— KEDIKEDI's interpretation of students' broader career planning beyond traditional university paths.

The report also highlighted the stable operational basis of career education in schools, with increased budgets across all levels. Student satisfaction with career activities, particularly 'career experience,' has recovered after a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic. High school students showed a marked increase in participation in career experiences, nearing pre-pandemic levels. The recent amendment to the 'Career Education Act' is expected to further strengthen localized, field-oriented career experiences.

School career education operations and budget allocations have become well-established, and participation in career experiences and satisfaction with school career activities, which had shrunk due to COVID-19, are recovering.

— KEDIKEDI's assessment of the current state and recovery of career education in South Korean schools.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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