South Korea's government on Tuesday said it has imposed administrative penalties on some hundreds of private education institutes illegally operating in the affluent southern part of Seoul this year.

The Seoul Gangnam Seocho District Office of Education said a total of 259 cram schools were fined or received other administrative measures for false advertisements, late-night operations and other irregularities.

Among those penalized, 40 were caught while operating past 10 p.m., which is illegal in the capital city.

Under the city's regulation, private teaching institutes are prohibited from operating after 10 p.m. The municipal ordinance was introduced to cut households' spending on private education and protect students from excessive competition.

The education office said it looked into a total of 1,888 private education institutes in Gangnam Ward and Seocho Ward from January to July.

The total number of such cram schools in the region, one of the most competitive areas in the country in terms of education, is estimated to hover around 5,000, according to the office. (Yonhap)