Samsung scion aces Seoul’s tough CSAT, sparking envy among Korean-American mums

A story about Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin’s son nearly acing South Korea’s national college entrance exam has already made headlines in the country, but the buzz did not stop there.\nThe news quickly leapt across the Pacific and began circulating among Korean mothers in the United States, where parents are reacting with equal parts envy and fascination.\nParents abroad said they were struck by how a Samsung scion managed to excel within South Korea’s intensely competitive school system.\nMany expressed surprise that he stayed in South Korea for his entire education rather than joining the steady stream of students heading overseas, especially the US.\nPark Sun-young, chair of the new Truth and Reconciliation Committee, praised both the result and the family’s approach to schooling in a widely shared social media post.\nShe wrote that the senior at Whimoon High School “missed only one question on the CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) this year” and had remained “first in his class” since middle school.\n\nPark contrasted Lee’s parenting with what she described as a common trend among affluent families. “These days, wealthy parents rush to send their children overseas,” she said.\n“It almost feels grateful that a Samsung heiress with nothing to envy in the world raised her son entirely in Korea.” She added that she hopes the example helps Korean education “stand tall again” and gives domestic-educated mothers “real pride”.\nThe discussion has since spread widely across Korean-American parenting spaces including MissyUSA and social media.\nOne US-based mother wrote that seeing a Samsung scion succeed in South Korea made her feel that “Korean education still works when given the chance”.\n\n\nAnother wondered whether staying in one system allowed him to focus without the disruption that often comes with moving abroad. “There’s something about learning in your own language and culture that keeps kids more confident,” a US-based mother wrote.\nOthers said the news evoked both admiration and pressure, highlighting how intensely education defines opportunity for Korean families no matter where they live.\nThis year’s CSAT was widely viewed as more difficult than last year’s, adding to the sense of accomplishment.\nThis story was first published by The Korea Times\n