45 students rejected from top universities due to bullying records

Korea Daily Digital
By Korea Daily Digital
Freshmen take pictures at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, during the entrance ceremony on Feb. 29, 2024. [YONHAP]
Freshmen take pictures at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, during the entrance ceremony on Feb. 29, 2024. [YONHAP]

Despite stellar academic credentials, two students were denied admission to the prestigious Seoul National University (SNU) last year — not for lack of grades, but for past records of school bullying.

They were among 45 applicants across six major national universities who saw their college dreams derailed due to histories of school violence, highlighting a growing shift in how character is weighed in Korean university admissions.

The two rejected students at SNU had applied through their College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores. Despite their high academic performance, their history of school violence in elementary, middle or high school led to their disqualification. Since the 2014 academic year, SNU has deducted up to two points from CSAT scores of applicants who had received disciplinary actions of school transfers or expulsion.

In Korea, students apply to university through two main tracks: early admissions, which considers school records and interviews, and regular admissions, which primarily relies on scores from the CSAT.

At Pusan National University, eight students — six from the early admissions cycle and two from the regular admissions cycle — were rejected due to deductions related to school violence. Kangwon National University saw five early admissions rejections, while Jeonbuk National University had five cases in total.

In contrast, four other national universities — Chonnam National University, Jeju National University, Chungnam National University and Chungbuk National University — did not reject any students on this basis. This is because they only consider records of school violence in limited admissions tracks, such as for student-athletes.

Starting next year, all universities in Korea will be required to implement mandatory deductions for applicants with school violence records, regardless of the admission type. The policy shift was prompted by public backlash after it was revealed that the son of former prosecutor Chung Sun-sin — who was briefly appointed head of the National Office of Investigation in 2023 — had been transferred to another high school due to bullying but was still admitted to SNU with just a two-point deduction on the CSAT.

However, as the policy expands, concerns are growing over a surge in disputes and complaints in schools. Increasingly, students accused of bullying are hiring lawyers and filing administrative lawsuits to overturn disciplinary decisions. Critics warn that the resulting legal battles — often encouraged by law firms — are turning school violence cases into profit-driven lawsuits and fueling a cycle that is damaging classroom environments.

BY KIM CHUL-WOONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]

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