Despite topping the OECD for tertiary-educated 25 to 34 year olds, South Korea also has a third of its working-age adults scoring at the lowest levels of literacy — and the gap reflects both generations and ageing

Its young adults are the best-schooled in the OECD by tertiary attainment. Korea has the highest rate of tertiary education among young adults in the OECD. In the OECD’s words, “In literacy, adults aged 55-65 scored 55 points lower than 25-34 year-olds (OECD average: 30 points lower).” Korea’s older workers grew up before the country’s exceptional expansion in educational attainment had fully played out. The employment rate for Korea’s tertiary-educated young adults is 80 percent, below the OECD average of 87 percent.