hankyoreh

"Had I kept studying at school, I could have learned something else. But I am happy that I could study what I liked," said Kim Se-jong, 19. And he did it all from home.

Kim just received early admission to Inha University in Incheon. Kim was a high-school junior when he dropped out, despite his parents’ opposition. Kim was doing well at school, but he thought that the school curriculum was no different from that found at private cram institutes. So he decided to quit and arrange his own study plans, listening to Internet lectures and studying at a nearby library every day.

Kim wants to study computer science. Since his last year of middle school, he has been running a popular online site that provides tips for making an Internet homepage. A total of 650,000 netizens have visited the site, and official site members number over 20,000. Kim also received an award for work he did as a member of the science club during his first year at high school.

"I want to become the world’s best programmer," Kim said.

Park Ji-ho, 19, who has also entered Inha University, is another "home-schooled" student. He dropped out in his first year of high school to go it alone.

"The most difficult thing was to persuade my parents, and then after that, it was people’s prejudice that was difficult," Park said. "But I believe it is up to me whether to study or not." Park likes riding his motorbike, and has several computer-related technical licenses.

Inha University announced on October 7 that a total of 10 such home-schooled students passed its entrance requirements, consisting of 70 percent national high-school equivalency examination and 30 percent in-depth interview. All gained admission without taking the Korean college entrance examination.

"We accepted the home-schooled students to help them design their life based on their own desires and abilities," a school official said.

According to government data, a total of 1,000 households are practicing home-schooling with their children.

Meanwhile, some colleges are accepting students taught at so-called alternative schools, which deviate from the standard curriculum and teaching methods. The number of graduates from such institutions increases each year.

[englishhani@hani.co.kr]