In this study I examine the origins, drivers, and educational legacies of the hierarchical culture in Korean society. To this end, first, the factors affecting the formation, evolution, and reinforcement of the hierarchical culture in Korean society were discussed. In this regard, I discussed how the Korean honorific-humble language system, rice-farming culture, Confucianism, practices of respecting elders, competitive tendencies, social comparison tendencies, materialism, and exam systems promoting rent-seeking behaviors relate to each other and affect the hierarchical culture in various ways. Next, I examined the realities of the hierarchical culture in Korean society. Finally, I delved into the main educational legacies of the hierarchical culture. The main topics of discussion were screening- and selection-oriented education, proliferation of private tutoring, evaluation system emphasizing fairness, strengthening of university ranking structure, suppression of discussion culture, and climate of blatant show-off and discrimination among students. The results of this study indicate that a future-oriented reform of the Korean honorific-humble language system could be instrumental in resolving Korea s chronic education problems because it has been yielding a profound influence on the overall life of Koreans, including the hierarchical culture.