This chapter examines English education in South Korea during the Third National Curriculum period (1973–1981), situating it within the broader sociopolitical context of President Park Chung Hee’s authoritarian Yushin regime and the early years of Chun Doo-hwan’s military government. Amid Cold War tensions, rapid industrialization, and strong state control over education,English was increasingly valued as a resource for economic development and international engagement. Despite growing societal demands for oral and aural proficiency, secondary school English education remained largely exam-oriented, prioritizing reading, grammar, and vocabulary in preparation for college entrance examinations. The chapter highlights persistent tensions between communicative needs and formfocused pedagogy, as well as debates surrounding early English education and educational equity. It also discusses the limited introduction of audiovisual tools and experimental reforms, which failed to substantially transform classroom practices due to overcrowded classrooms and rigid curricular control. Overall, the chapter argues that the Third National Curriculum institutionalized structural features of English education—such as standardized textbooks and grammar sequencing—that continued to shape English teaching in South Korea for decades.