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[garykasparov]

Seoul City Council Cancels All-Night Hagwon Plan

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The Seoul Metropolitan Council cancelled its plan to allow private cram schools or hagwon to stay open all night, Tuesday.

With the cancellation, cram schools' operating hours remain unchanged between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m..

``We reached an agreement that we need to maintain the regulations on the operating hours,'' a committee member said. ``We considered student's health as a key factor in the decision.''

The council originally sought to liberalize the operating hours of private tutoring institutes as many hagwon open until past midnight despite the rules. They pointed out that the lack of law enforcement officials also makes the rules virtually useless in practice.

But the council changed its position after strong protest from civic groups and parents. Even President Lee Myung-bak reacted negatively to the move.

Despite its succumbing to public protest, the city council still wants the issue to be discussed further at public hearings.

The council's educational committee last week passed a municipal ordinance to abolish limitations on business hours at private cram schools as part of deregulation to provide more freedom to private business sectors.

Parents raised concerns that the move would force students to study all night, resulting in health risks, as well as pose a threat to the public education system.

In the face of protests, the committee decided to put it to a vote. They voted for the amendment to the ordinance to restrict hagwon business hours to 10 p.m. Of 89 council members, 70 voted for the revised amendment and 19 against, according to the council.

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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/03/117_20937.html

[Carlyles Ghost]

I couldn't believe they were seriously trying to do that in the first place. Glad to see common sense prevailed.

[Beej]

Are Koreans really that idiotic? "Forced to study all night?" Parents force their kids to study the insane hours they already do. Hogwons cant force people to study.

[Carlyles Ghost]

True enough, Beej. But you can bet that if the Hagwon's are open all night, there will be kids who will go (for one reason or another).

[Lekker]

I hate hagwons. I really do. Just the word "hagwon" makes me cringe. I will not be working at another hagwon after this one.

[Beej]

Forced to eat Big Macs all night at the 24 hour Mcdonalds. Forced to play Satrcraft all night at the 24 hour PC bang. Forced to get a steam bath at the 24 hour jimjillbang.

[nicholas_chiasson]

Although a drunk might want to play PC games, chow down on a burger, or even fall in a hot tub...I don't see them going to study English. How often do you say "Man, I'm drunk, let's go for a lecture on plate tectonics.

[R. S. Refugee]