School counseling in South Korea: Historical development, current status, and prospects

School counseling in South Korea faces new challenges in implementation. Despite a rapid increase in the number of school counselors, a generally agreed consensus on training, ethical standards, role identity, counseling model, and structures for school counselors has not been reached. This article reviews a brief history of school counseling in South Korea and describes its current status. Discussions of contemporary issues and future prospects for school counseling in South Korea are included. According to J. W. Lee (2001), an estimated 25.8 % of Korean students (about 54,611 students) exhibit behavioral or social and emotional problems, including many with a learning disability or with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). About 26 % of students are also addicted to the Internet and other computer-related activities. In addition, more than 90 % of middle- and high-school students report having witnessed bullying in their schools (Korea