University Admission Regular Decision Reflects 'Hakpok'... "Will Have a Real Impact on Acceptance"

Party-Government Council Announces 'Comprehensive Measures to Eradicate School Violence'
Seoul National University Only Institution to Substantially Reflect School Violence Deduction Factors
High-Intensity Measures Expected from Deductions to Disqualification

As the ruling party and the government decided to reflect school violence disciplinary actions (offender records) in the regular admission process for university entrance exams, admission experts analyzed that school violence will become a practical factor determining acceptance even in the regular admissions.

On the 5th, the People Power Party and the government agreed in a party-government meeting to expand the application of school violence disciplinary actions, currently reflected in early admissions, to regular admissions as well, and to extend the retention period of serious school violence offender records in the school life records, as part of a comprehensive plan to eradicate school violence.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is speaking at the party-government meeting on comprehensive measures to eradicate school violence held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 5th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Currently, among major domestic universities, none directly use school violence disciplinary actions as a disqualification condition in the regular admission process. In the 2023 regular admissions, Seoul National University was the only institution to reflect school violence as a deduction factor, but even then, there are no specific deduction regulations other than a clause stating that “internal and external disciplinary actions may be used as deduction factors.”

However, admission experts foresee that from as early as the 2024 regular admissions, universities will add all regulations related to school violence.

Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, "It is expected that specific deduction points will be clearly stated for each of the nine current offender disciplinary actions, including offender measures, written apologies, prohibition of contact, threats, and retaliation, school service, community service, completion of special education or psychological treatment, suspension of attendance, class transfer, school transfer, and expulsion."

Experts analyze that the degree of deduction could be quantitatively significant enough to practically affect admission results, or that the mere existence of such disciplinary actions could lead to very strict measures such as disqualification.

However, alongside the effect of reducing school violence, there is also a possibility that the number of school-level review cases and administrative appeals or lawsuits by offending students may increase depending on the situation. Additionally, issues may arise if an offending student who is under litigation is disqualified from university admission due to school violence but is later acquitted in the final judgment. The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations also pointed out that “it is necessary to sufficiently gather university opinions centered on the Korea Council for University Education to establish guidelines.”

CEO Lim said, “The types of school violence to be reflected in regular university admissions are expected to include not only physical violence but also verbal abuse, extortion, coercion, ostracism, sexual violence, and cyber violence.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.