S. Koreans love their English

Republic of Korea's "wild geese fathers" manage a reunion with their children, and often wives, just once a year after seeing them off for study abroad, invariably to learn in English.

They are, contends a new government zealous to reform, symptomatic of a damaged state education system that forces parents to throw money at private tuition and prevents Asia's fourth-largest economy from leaping into the world's top league.

"The government acknowledges that the lack of English is one of the factors that pulls down the competitiveness this country has," said Education Ministry spokesman Park Baeg-beom.