A survey finds that an average South Korean student spends 256-thousand won, or 223 dollars, a month for private education. That's up by four-point-eight percent from a year earlier.

The Education Ministry and Statistics Korea on Tuesday announced the result of their nationwide survey of 43-thousand parents on their elementary, middle and high school children's education.

The survey found that South Korean parents’ aggregate spending on private education increased one-point-three percent from a year earlier to more than 18 trillion won in 2016. That's 15-point-eight billion U.S. dollars. 

Expenses for private education to help children with subjects taught at school amounted to 13-point-five trillion won, down two-point-eight percent from 2015.
 
But the overall growth was driven by a 15-point-six percent increase in spending on the private teaching of art and gymnastics.