This study explores determinants of parental views toward the High School Equalization Policy
(HSEP) in South Korea, focusing on place of residence in Seoul. The results show that the
determinants and the power of their effects are different between the North Bank, well known for its
relatively poor neighborhoods, and the South Bank, well known for its wealthy neighborhoods.
Specifically, children's academic achievement, degree of possibility for children to be allotted to less
favored schools, parental financial resources, and occupation significantly predict negative parental
views of the HSEP in the North Bank, while children's gender, academic achievement, and degree of
possibility for children to be allotted to less favored schools significantly predict negative parental
views in the South Bank. In addition, the effects of children's gender and academic achievement are
found to be more powerful in the South Bank than in the North Bank. The findings indicate that
upper middle class parents in the South Bank may be less likely to oppose the HSEP because the
current policy tends to guarantee their children to go to better high schools in their school district.
On the other side, upper middle class parents in the North Bank may be more likely to oppose the
HSEP because their school choice is restricted under the policy.