In the area of Daechi-dong in Gangnam, Seoul, where many famous private entrance exam institutes are located, there are many places called 'haksa' (학사). Primarily, students who have come from the provinces stay here to prepare for their entrance exams.
Around the time when the re-examination academies start, there were no available rooms in the haksa, but these days things have changed. One haksa owner noted, "Last year, it was fully booked from January, but this year it is not the same," adding, "A large entrance exam academy in Daechi-dong opened a dormitory academy in Gyeonggi Province with a capacity of 1,500 students, creating a trend of students moving there."
◇Accommodation and laundry services provided at the haksa in Daechi-dong… even high school students use it during vacations
The haksa typically charges 1.4 million to 1.7 million won per person per month, about three times the price of a regular goshiwon. Nevertheless, it has remained popular. This is because not only accommodation but also meals, laundry, and cleaning services are all provided. Some haksa even wake students up early or operate shuttle buses to and from the academy.
Due to these advantages, many high school students, as well as re-examination students, have used the haksa. Choi, a junior in university, said, "I attended a self-supporting private high school in the provinces, but during every vacation, I stayed at a haksa in Daechi-dong and attended both specialized and general classes at the academy," adding, "The facilities were convenient and close to the academy, which was very helpful." Additionally, a woman in her 50s, Jeong, mentioned, "Although we live in Seoul, I found it a waste of time for my child to commute on the streets to the academy in Daechi-dong, so I sent them to the haksa during vacations," and noted that after being exposed to the fiercely competitive study environment of the entrance exam ecosystem in Daechi-dong, her child began to study earnestly.
◇Big 3 large academies with dormitories housing thousands… "30% vacant rooms in the haksa"
However, on the 25th of last month, there were many vacant rooms in the haksa in the Daechi-dong area. One haksa owner said, "Currently, 30% of the rooms are vacant," adding, "Students have moved to dormitory academies." Another haksa owner mentioned, "If you register now, we will give you a 100,000 won discount on the room fee for the first two months." Additionally, an 18-year-old named Gyeong mentioned, "I heard that seniors who studied well at school entered residential academies for re-examinations."
Earlier, the entrance exam academy, Shidaeinjae, opened a dormitory academy in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, at the end of last month with a capacity of 1,500. MegaStudy (2,400–2,500) and Gangnam Daesung (1,900) also already have existing dormitory academies. With the addition of Shidaeinjae, all three of the so-called 'Big 3' entrance exam academies in Gangnam have entered the dormitory academy market. The Big 3 dormitory academies have a total capacity of 5,800 to 5,900. This corresponds to about 3% of the 180,000 graduates and high school equivalency test takers taking the 2025 college entrance exam.
For re-examination students, attending a dormitory academy costs millions of won annually. To use a single room in a dormitory at Shidaeinjae, an additional 300,000 won is required on top of the monthly tuition fee of around 3.9 million won. Including the cost of subject-specific textbooks and practice exams, the total can reach 5 million won per month. MegaStudy and Gangnam Daesung dormitory academies also require around 4 million won per month, including tuition and textbook costs.
This aids in the revenue of entrance exam academies. The parent company of Shidaeinjae, Haicons, recorded a revenue of 360.5 billion won in 2023. MegaStudy Education, which operates both MegaStudy and Gangnam Daesung dormitory academies, reported cumulative revenues for the third quarter last year at 719.8 billion won and 164.2 billion won, respectively.