The number of private educational institutes in Korea is on the decline as a prolonged economic slowdown and the government’s drive to enhance school learning affect the vibrant private education market, data showed Monday.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the number of registered hagwon, mostly located in the Gangnam district in southern Seoul, stood at 13,208 as of December, down from 13,352 a year earlier. The tally was more than 13,500 in 2009.

There are 1,070 private learning institutes newly registered this year, down from 1,206 a year ago, while about 1,200 schools closed their doors, the report said.

Observers say the steady decline in the number of private learning institutions reflects the increasing burden on households from private education, as well as Korea’s declining birthrate.

In 2011, Korean parents spent an average 240,000 won ($222) per child on private education each month, with households spending a total of 20.1 trillion won. That figure is down from 21.6 trillion won in 2009.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)