There is some evidence that higher education is drawing more attention and importance
in government education policies as the economy is transformed toward a knowledgebased
economy. A clear shift has occurred, with government increasing its spending on
the higher education sector more than on primary and secondary education. This policy
change is caused by two factors. On the one hand, because the government recognises
the quality of human resources as the key factor in further economic growth, it regards the
higher education sector as the key player in achieving that growth. On the other hand, the
performance of the current higher education system in South Korea is perceived to be lower
than expected in terms of the efficiency of educational spending