If you’re raising a child in Korea as a foreign resident, figuring out the education system can feel like a lot. There’s new vocabulary, a different structure, and plenty of paperwork — all in Korean. So I’m going to break it all down for you, step by step.
Korea’s compulsory education covers 6 years of elementary school + 3 years of middle school, a total of 9 years. High school isn’t compulsory, but it’s been tuition-free since 2021. That said, most parents’ journey starts way earlier than that — at daycare (어린이집, eorinijip). So let’s start there.
📌 This is Part 1 of my Korea Education Series. Links to other parts will be added as they’re published.
What Is 어린이집 (Eorinijip)?
Daycare centers in Korea, called 어린이집 (eorinijip), accept children from 6 weeks old up to age 5. In a country where dual-income households are basically the norm, daycare isn’t really optional for most families — it’s just part of life.
There are three main types:
- Public daycare 국공립 (gukgongnip) – Run by the government or local authority. Affordable and reliable, but the waitlist is long.
- Private daycare 민간 (mingan) – Privately run, but receives government subsidies.
- Home daycare 가정 (gajung) – Smaller, home-based facilities.
How to Enroll in a Korean Daycare Center
You can apply online through the Childcare Portal, Aisarang (childcare.go.kr).
- Sign up on the Aisarang website or app
- Search for daycare centers and join the waitlist
- The daycare contacts you when a spot opens up
- Submit enrollment documents and confirm your spot
For public daycare, the wait can easily be 6 months to over a year. I’d strongly recommend signing up as soon as you arrive in Korea — or even before you get here.
Can Foreign Residents Use Daycare in Korea?
Yes! Registered foreign nationals are entitled to use daycare centers on the same terms as Korean citizens, including government fee subsidies. Unregistered foreigners, however, are not eligible for the subsidy.
One thing to keep in mind: just like Korean families, foreign residents with both parents working tend to have a higher priority in the admission process. If you’re a dual-income household, make sure to include that when you apply — it can make a real difference in how quickly you get a spot.
Daycare Costs and Government Subsidies in Korea
Government childcare subsidies are paid out via the National Happiness Card (국민행복카드). The amount depends on your child’s age and the type of daycare.
Monthly subsidy amounts in Seoul (2025)
| Age | Public Daycare | Private / Home Daycare |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ₩270,000 | ₩270,000 |
| 1 | ₩237,500 | ₩237,500 |
| 2 | ₩197,000 | ₩197,000 |
| 3 | ₩140,000 | ₩249,150 |
| 4–5 | ₩140,000 | ₩238,650 |
In practice, parents of children aged 0–2 pay nothing out of pocket — the government covers the full amount. For ages 3–5, parents cover around 50% of the fee, with the government paying the rest directly to the daycare center.
What Does a Korean Daycare Program Look Like?
My daughter goes to a district-run public daycare in Seoul. Classes are divided by age from 0 to 5, with core hours running from 9am to 4pm. If you need it, extended care is available until 7:30pm — which is a lifesaver for working parents.
The program is honestly more structured than I expected. It follows the national curriculum, but it’s very much play-led, so don’t picture rows of kids doing worksheets. Monthly themes shift based on what the kids are into, which keeps things fresh.
There are also extracurricular classes — English (with a native-speaking teacher), PE, dance, and coding. Some are subsidized by the district office. I pay around ₩60,000 extra per month, which feels very reasonable given the weekly dance and activity classes. They even send the craft materials home after each project, which my daughter loves.
Seasonal field activities are a big part of it too — strawberry picking, sweet potato digging, kimchi-making. There are also nature walks at the local park and field trips to the library and supermarket built into the curriculum.
Parent Communication at Korean Daycare
The daycare uses an app called Kizznote (키즈노트) to share daily updates — your child’s mood, meals, and activity photos. If you’re a foreign parent navigating Korean, the photos do a lot of the heavy lifting.
You can also use Kizznote to ask questions or make simple requests — think permission slips, schedule changes, or anything you’d normally send a quick note about. Most teachers are reachable by phone too, but unless it’s urgent, messaging through the app is the better way to go. Teachers are with the kids throughout the day, so a Kizznote message means they can respond when it’s a good time rather than stepping away mid-activity.
There are also two parent-teacher conferences per semester for more in-depth check-ins.
Before You Apply: A Few Things Worth Knowing
Before submitting your application online, it’s worth visiting the daycare in person — walk around the facility and have a chat with the director. The vibe and how things are run day-to-day are things you can only really get a feel for by showing up.
One more thing: families in multicultural households (where one parent is a foreign national) do have a separate admissions category. That said, as the number of multicultural families in Korea has grown significantly in recent years, the benefits attached to this category have been scaled back quite a bit — so don’t count on it making a huge difference.
Daycare might feel unfamiliar at first, but once you’re in, it’s surprisingly well-organized. Public daycare in particular offers great value — so even if the waitlist feels daunting, it’s absolutely worth signing up early.
📌 Up next: Kindergarten in Korea (유치원) — how it differs from daycare, costs, and public vs. private. (Link coming soon)
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