Kim Gura Celebrates Daughter's Acceptance to $35K-a-Year School

Korean television host Kim Gura has shared that his daughter was accepted to one of South Korea's most exclusive international schools, where annual tuition reaches about 50 million won. The school has also educated the children of several top Korean stars who went on to attend elite universities abroad.

Kim appeared on the YouTube channel of his son, MC Gree, on the 2nd. "I have something to celebrate," he said. "My daughter passed the second round of the international school entrance exam." Kim had previously discussed his plans to move to Songdo for his daughter's schooling on his own YouTube channel, showing his strong interest in her education.

The school is Chadwick International in Yeonsu district, Incheon. It is officially accredited by South Korea's Ministry of Education, meaning its diploma is recognized in both Korea and abroad. Annual tuition runs between roughly 40 and 50 million won. A student who attends from kindergarten through high school could pay close to 700 million won in total.

Chadwick has long been known as the school of choice for the children of Korean stars, including Jun Ji-hyun, Ryu Jin, Lee Si-young and Kim Nam-joo. Kim Nam-joo's daughter Ra-hee made headlines last year after graduating from Chadwick and transferring to Duke University, one of the top private universities in the United States. Ryu Jin's oldest son Chan-hyung also drew attention when he was accepted to Berklee College of Music.

Public reaction to news like this has been mixed. Tuition in the tens of millions of won each year is far out of reach for most Korean families, and many say stories like this leave them feeling left behind. Some critics point out that repeated coverage of celebrity children's education on TV and YouTube spotlights an environment ordinary families cannot access, making the education gap feel sharper.

Others argue that parents have every right to provide the best schooling they can afford. Investing in a child's education within one's means, they say, is hard to fault. Getting into a top university also still requires the student's own effort and ability, no matter what school they attend.

News about celebrity children entering international schools is almost certain to keep drawing divided responses. A parent's choice to seek out a better learning environment deserves respect. At the same time, attention on schools that cost tens of millions of won a year naturally raises questions about how uneven access to education has become in South Korea. Between personal choice and social unease, stories about the schooling of celebrities' children look set to keep sparking debate.