For the first time, the number of computers available to students at elementary, middle and high schools across Korea has reached one per student, thanks to aggressive government investment in education digitization. However, educators say support must also be strengthened for digital learning areas such as improving "digital literacy," beyond just infrastructure spending.
According to a report titled "From Education Informatization to AI and Digital-Based Education Innovation" by the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) released Monday, the number of students per computer at schools last year stood at 1.1 for elementary schools, 0.9 for middle schools and 1.0 for general high schools. This means tablets and laptops provided by schools have effectively reached a one-to-one ratio with students. In 2005, the figures were 7.2 students per computer at elementary schools, 6.1 at middle schools and 5.6 at general high schools, indicating that computer availability in schools has increased six- to seven-fold over the past 20 years.
School network infrastructure for internet access has also been steadily upgraded. According to the National Information Society Agency (NIA), wired network speeds in schools now reach 800 Mbps, based on the fourth phase of the Ultra-High-Speed National Network project launched in 2021. This allows a 2 GB video to be downloaded in 20 seconds, not far from the domestic average 5G mobile speed of 1 Gbps (1 Gbps = 1,024 Mbps).
Despite this education IT infrastructure, students' digital literacy was assessed at low levels. According to a digital literacy assessment conducted by the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) in 2024, the average total digital literacy score for elementary school students was just 64.02 out of 100. By category, "digital tools" scored the highest at 76.30, while "digital content creation" recorded the lowest at 41.76.
Middle school students scored even lower with an average of 57.57. By category, "digital safety and health" was the highest at 75.53, while "digital content creation" was the lowest at 44.26, mirroring the pattern among elementary students. The report noted, "Both elementary and middle school students scored the lowest in the 'digital content creation' category in digital literacy," adding, "These results show that beyond simply consuming digital content, competencies in directly producing and expressing digital creations must be strengthened."