South Korea is embracing another small revolution these days: online education. This spring, the government began internet and television lectures for high-school students preparing for competitive college exams.
Only three months after the launch, the service has seen explosive growth. Three in four students either log on or switch on almost every day for the lectures by the government-run Education Broadcasting Station.
During peak times - at around midnight - as many as 70,000 students are logged on to the website, either watching real-time lectures or downloaded files. This is one of the world's largest online education projects, possible mainly because of South Korea's widespread broadband penetration - the world's highest, at 75 per cent.
There are already signs that this cyber- education is changing South Korean society. The number of private cram schools, which for decades have outperformed state schools because of their more efficient teaching methods and motivated staff, are gradually declining.
The rise of private education has long been a major social problem. Parents have been forced to spend huge amounts on private education, from cram schools to tutors. That, in turn, has furthered the decline of state schools.
This dependence on private schools has had many negative side effects. House prices in regions where good cram schools are located, such as the Gangnam district, rocketed, as parents did almost anything to move into these areas.