South Koreans spend $17 billion on extra education PARENTS in education-obsessed South Korea spent 19 trillion won ($17 billion) on extra classes for their children last year, seeking any edge in the hugely competitive race for a coveted college place. The 2012 figure, published by the education ministry on Wednesday, includes cost for after-hours cram schools, private tutoring or online courses, and was equivalent to about 1.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product.