Your research topic is fascinating, but you are right; a literature review in itself might not be enough for ISEF. In my opinion, instead of focusing on the problem, you should work more towards finding a solution. You can come up with a controlled live experiment in which the educational environment of Korean students is manipulated and altered, the hypothesis being that such a system would positively affect their mental health. You can then compare the traditional Korean education system with the data you obtain from the experiment, and provide insights on what the ideal education system for Korea should be. Of course, conducting such an experiment might not practically be feasible. But it is a suggestion in the light of your research topic, and I believe it has the potential to significantly elevate your project from a literature review to actual ISEF-worthy research. I hope this helps!

@Shagi B Well, in the Qualifier and Pre-Final rounds, you are permitted to use sources like books, research papers, or anything on the internet to answer the problem statements, as long as you come up with the answer yourself. I really just tried to understand each and every question, and read some stuff on the internet about it. Eventually, I came to the correct answer. For the final round, however, it was different. You can't use any external sources. So I mainly just refreshed my astronomy knowledge by watching a few lectures and videos on YouTube. These were some of the best ones: Astronomy/Astrophysics - YouTube Astronomy - YouTube ASTRONOMY - YouTube I would like to add that the exam itself it isn't so difficult, and the examination was not at all as hard as I was expecting. I would recommend everyone to participate next year, because this is the kind of exam that anyone can score well on.

@Mana N I didn't use any books for my preparation, but if you want, you can use books targeted for the IOAA. They would work the same.

Creating something new is always better than criticizing something that already exists. I am personally not in favor of conducting literature reviews independently. However, I am obliged to do one each and every time I want to publish a new finding or discovery I make, merely because it is mandatory to validate its novelty and alignment with existing/current methods and techniques. And when we are conducting a literature review, it makes sense to document it and publish it along with your research paper/discovery. In my case, the literature review is usually quite concentrated, and focuses on the specific part of the field I am addressing in my research paper. So, while literature reviews might be a bit burdensome, they are, after all, an inevitable part of the research process. I would recommend you not only identify a gap in our existing scientific knowledge by conducting a literature review, but also try to address that gap by finding or creating something new by conducting research.

I'm surprised no one chose CS. Computer science does count as a science, guys.

I would definitely double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, and then do a business-related Masters (MBA). My goal is to create a revolutionary product/service using my skills, and then selling it for a living. Honestly, the freedom you get from that is exhilarating, plus you get to indulge in STEM all time. I consider it a win-win.