High school education will be free for all students in South Korea starting from the spring semester as first-year students will be exempt from all education expenses.

The Education Ministry said on Sunday that education will be free for junior high school students from the new semester of 2021, as it did for third-year students in the fall semester in 2019 and second-year students in 2020.

With free education, one-point-24 million high school students will be exempt from all education expenses, including admission fees, tuition and textbook fees.

The ministry expects free education will save one-point-six million won per high school student a year.

Middle school education has been free for all students since 2004.