Sending children to college on the Mainland can take a high financial toll on parents. Between rising tuition, living expenses and airline tickets, parents do their best to give their children the best education available.

It's no different for parents in South Korea who send their children all over the world to learn a second language and broaden their scope on life. And for South Korean parents sending their children to the U.S., for example, the cost is even higher. Without an American credit rating, many pay cash, and student loans are difficult to get. Some fathers end up spending as much as 90 percent of their monthly salaries on sending their children abroad. And yet there is an exodus of students from South Korea going abroad to study.

Korean parents are sending their children to study in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China and Europe. Australia and Canada, with lenient visa policies, are the most popular destinations.

In 2005, an estimated 160,000 students studied abroad at the college level, with another 15,000 attending primary, middle and high school.

Quite a few of my friends have their young children attend summer programs at Iolani and Punahou schools.

In South Korea these days, people use a term for fathers who send their wife and children abroad — kee rug-e appa (wild-goose father).

Why the goose metaphor? The birds migrate, fly in formation and mate for life. It is also believed that adult geese will give their lives for their offspring. In a fire, for example, a parent goose would cover flightless goslings with his or her wing and they die together.

Usually, South Korean mothers go abroad with their children — some of whom are as young as middle-school age.

The father stays alone in South Korea, working day and night to foot the bills. But other than the financial burden, the most serious side effect of this situation is loneliness. Loneliness that sometimes leads to depression. Most fathers who send their children abroad are professors and businessmen.

Health is also a big concern. Instead of returning to an empty home, fathers end up going out to drink with friends or colleagues. Tired from working all day, fathers usually prefer to eat out most days of the week, often consuming unhealthful foods.

Recently, variations on the wild-goose theme have emerged and become a humorous subject among parents.

The eagle is a symbol of freedom, hence dok su ri appa, or eagle father, is the label for a dad who has the financial means to visit his wife and child studying abroad anytime he wishes, unlike the wild goose who can go only for special occasions such as graduation.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the penguin father. The flightless penguin is the most humble of the three birds and refers to fathers who have the least amount of financial freedom. Koreans use a lot of analogies in their language because being direct sometimes is considered rude.

To all the hard-working fathers and mothers who are doing their best to provide the best education for their children, Happy Father's Day!

Jeff Chung is the general manager of KBFD, which televises Korean dramas. If you have a K-drama question or comment, call KBFD at 521-8066 or write to jeff chung@kbfd.com.

'WHAT'S YOUR STAR' DRAMA ENDS THIS WEEK

'THANK YOU, LIFE'

EPISODES 17 AND 18

Tonight at 7: Yeon-kyong hides her worries and stands by Yoon-ho's side through the ordeal. Worried about money, Yeon-kyong postpones her surgery and stops her medication. In-seok tries to forget about Yeon-kyong.

Tonight at 8: Yeon-kyong and Yoon-ho try to manage the situation, but there is no solution in sight. To make matters worse, Yoon-ho's pay is seized. In-seok learns Yeon-kyong has postponed her surgery and hasn't even picked up her medication.

'LOVE & AMBITION'

EPISODES 21 AND 22

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Hae-joo and Hae-young try to put a stop to Mi-ja's overindulgent lifestyle. Mi-ja's father comes to Seoul with Jung-ja's father but collapses and is hospitalized. Tae-soo receives a letter from Eun-hwan.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Jung-ja pours out her complaints to Tae-soo's mother and Sun-hee when Tae-soo doesn't come home, but she gets no sympathy from them. Mother is devastated when she hears Tae-joon gave up on the bar exam, but Tae-joon reports to work regardless of his mother's opposition.

'WHAT'S YOUR STAR'

EPISODES 15 AND 16

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Bok-shil decides to stay in the country after she breaks up with Seung-hee. Seung-hee keeps busy with another film project. Bok-shil tells her grandpa she wants to continue to work at the film company. Bok-shil runs into Seung-hee at a premier.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m. (final episode): Jin-hee realizes how much in love Bok-shil and Seung-hee are and gives them her blessing. Bok-shil's grandpa offers to help Seung-hee with his career, but Seung-hee refuses.

'ALONE IN LOVE'

EPISODES 5 AND 6

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Mi-yon moves in right next to Dong-jin's apartment. Dong-jin complains to Eun-ho, but she ignores him. Mi-yon bombards Dong-jin with food and attention. Dong-jin helps with Eun-sol's homework when he goes to return the pots.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Eun-ho's jaw drops when she enters Hyun-joong's house. She is surprised again when she finds out Hyun-joong's father already knows that she's a divorcee. Dong-jin asks Mi-yon out to dinner to reject her gently but runs into Mi-yon's ex-husband.