Education in the Republic of Korea has been lauded throughout the world as a model for other countries to emulate. Perhaps the most conspicuous example of this praise has come from US President Barack Obama, who has been effusive in his admiration for Korean education. President Obama has been famously quoted as saying, "Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21^st-Century economy." Although the educational system in South Korea has come under public criticism recently for its over-centralization and hyper-competitiveness, it cannot be denied that South Korean students are among the highest in the world in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and other related indices. A strong cultural emphasis on education in Korea, combined with strong support from the ROK government, has transformed a once poor, illiterate society into one of the world's educational powerhouses.