"Good Grades Forgive?"... 'School Violence Seoul National University Students' 4 Cases in 5 Years

Seoul National University Keeps Disciplinary Deduction Criteria Confidential
27 Applicants Over 5 Years, 4 Accepted

It has been revealed that four people have been finally admitted to Seoul National University in the past five years despite being penalized for school violence and receiving point deductions in the university's admission screening.

According to data received by Kang Deuk-gu, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from Seoul National University on the 24th, 27 applicants were penalized for school violence or other disciplinary actions from 2019 to this year and received point deductions in both regular and early admission screenings at Seoul National University, among whom four were ultimately admitted.

The number of applicants who received point deductions due to disciplinary actions was higher in the regular admission screening than in the early admission screening each year.

The number of applicants who received point deductions in early and regular admissions were ▲2019: 2 and 5 ▲2020: 2 and 6 ▲2021: 0 and 6 ▲2022: 2 and 3 ▲2023: 0 and 1, respectively.

The number of those who were admitted despite point deductions were ▲2019: 0 ▲2020: 2 (regular admission) ▲2021: 1 (regular admission) ▲2022: 1 (early admission), totaling four.

One of the Four Is the Son of Lawyer Jeong Sun-shin... Internal Deliberation Criteria Remain Confidential

Among the two admitted in 2020, one is the son of lawyer Jeong Sun-shin, who was appointed and then dismissed as the head of the National Investigation Headquarters. Lawyer Jeong resigned after a major media report on his son's school violence case broke out a day before his appointment as head of the National Investigation Headquarters in February this year, and the appointment was subsequently canceled.

Seoul National University maintains a principle of confidentiality regarding the extent and nature of disadvantages imposed on applicants penalized for school violence. However, the internal deliberation criteria were disclosed for the first time at the National Assembly Education Committee's hearing on the school violence case involving lawyer Jeong Sun-shin's son held in April.

Internal review standards of Seoul National University.
[Photo by Seoul National University]

In the 2020 regular admission screening when lawyer Jeong's son was admitted, applicants who received disciplinary actions No. 8 (forced transfer) or No. 9 (expulsion) for school violence were given the lowest grade in document evaluation or had 2 points deducted from their CSAT scores. Lawyer Jeong's son received the No. 8 disciplinary action.

It is unknown whether Seoul National University has since raised the point deduction criteria for school violence disciplinary actions.

Assemblyman Kang said, "Seoul National University's admission guidelines clearly state that disciplinary actions inside and outside school can be used as factors for point deductions," adding, "Since college entrance exams are the most important test for students, Seoul National University should transparently disclose the criteria for point deductions related to disciplinary actions."

Meanwhile, lawyer Jeong appeared as a witness at the National Assembly Education Committee's audit on the 11th and apologized for the controversy surrounding his son's school violence.

Lawyer Jeong said, "To the victim students and their families, although we have reached an agreement and received apologies and forgiveness, I would like to apologize once again," adding, "I am also sorry to the public." He further stated, "I am reflecting deeply."

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