The burden of private education expenses on South Korean families has increased in the past year, despite the slow economy and contracted household spending.
 
Data from the Bank of Korea release on Saturday showed that the amount of money sent overseas for overseas Korean students' tuition and living costs stood at over three-point-six billion U.S. dollars in 2015.
 
The figure is down by one percent compared to the year 2014.
 
However, when the figure is converted into Korean won, it is a six-point-four percent increase due to the seven-point-four percent depreciation of the Korean won against the dollar.
 
The household spending on private education at home also increased. 
 
Data from Statistics Korea and the education ministry showed that a South Korean family spent an average of 244-thousand won a month on private education for middle and high school students last year, marking a one percent increase from 2014.
 
Meanwhile, the increase of overall household spending marked a zero-point-five increase from 2014 to 2015, which is one of the lowest-ever figures in history and even lower than the figure from 2009 during the global financial crisis.