Parents spent some W19 trillion on their children's private education last year, the first time the sum has fallen below W20 trillion since statistics began in 2007 (US$1=W1,096).

The Education Ministry and Statistics Korea surveyed 78,000 children and parents at 1,065 schools nationwide between June and October last year. The amount spent on crammers translates into W236,000 per child per month.

The proportion of students who get private education shrank both at the primary and secondary school level. The figure for elementary schoolchildren showed the biggest drop from 84.6 percent in 2011 to 80.9 percent in 2012.

Among middle-schoolers the proportion fell from 71 percent to 70.6 percent, and in high school from 51.6 percent to 50.7 percent.

But experts say it is too early to concl ude that the zeal for private education is on the wane. Despite the decrease, the amount of money paid by each student rose.

Middle-schoolers paid W276,000 for private education a month, up from W262,000 in 2011, and high school students W224,000, up from W218,000.

Only the figure for elementary schoolchildren decreased from W241,000 to W219,000.