Shanghai Korean School

In Brief

The school is the main draw for Korean expat families in Shanghai. Roughly 870 students K-12, almost all Korean nationals. Korean curriculum, Korean MoE oversight, with Chinese and English added on. Out in Huacao, Minhang. Most families live in Gubei and bus the kids out.

It is academically serious. Around 90% of graduates place into Seoul-based universities, and roughly 30 a year land at SKY (Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea). That is the single biggest reason Korean families pick it over Western international schools in Shanghai. If your friend is Korean and university entry back home matters, this is the obvious choice.

Be clear-eyed about what it is though. It is a Korean national school, not an international school in the BSB or Concordia sense. Instruction is in Korean. The community is tight, homogenous, and very Korean-parent-network driven. According to one parent, the cafeteria food was a long-running gripe ("부실한 급식") though things have improved since. One former teacher said leadership "falls almost 100% on Korean staff" and foreign hires sit on the periphery. Staff turnover among non-Korean teachers is high.

A 2016 incident is worth knowing about: a foreign teacher was found to have been on a US wanted list for five years before being caught. The school overhauled vetting after. Mention it but do not over-weight it.

Practical notes for your friend: - Bus from Gubei is roughly 20-30 minutes - Strong sense of community if you are Korean. Quite closed if you are not. - Heavy after-school hagwon culture among the families - kids don't stop at 3pm - Facilities are solid, recently refurbished

Bottom line: if the family is Korean and pointed back at Korea for university, this is the strongest option in Shanghai. If they want a more international experience or English-medium learning, look elsewhere.