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Private universities to file constitutional complaint over tuition cap
An umbrella group representing presidents from 154 private universities nationwide said Tuesday it will file a complaint challenging the constitutionality of government regulations capping private university tuition. “We are preparing to file a constitutional complaint toward the end of this year, or by early next year at the latest,” said Hwang In-sung, secretary general at the Korean Association of Private University Presidents. The complaint centers on Article 11 of the Higher Education Act,
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Seoul students 'structurally disadvantaged' in college admissions, survey indicates
A report showed that four out of 10 high school seniors in Seoul did not immediately go on to higher education after graduating, indicating that many choose to reapply for college admission due to the "structural disadvantage" of elite students being concentrated in the nation's capital. The report on admissions trends by the Jongno Hagwon, a major college entrance exam preparatory academy, showed only 64.2 percent of seniors in Seoul enroll in universities straight out of high school. This was
Dec. 15, 2025 -
Education Ministry to ease tuition control for universities
The Ministry of Education is set to ease regulations on private university tuition starting in 2027, confirming plans to end an 18-year-old scholarship system that effectively put restraints on tuition hikes. The Type II National Scholarship, which couples tuition increases with scholarship eligibility, is to be eliminated in 2027, the ministry said Friday. The decision comes as many universities report mounting financial strain after years of tuition controls. “Considering the deteriorating fin
Dec. 15, 2025 -
S. Korea unveils new education policies for international, multicultural students
The South Korean government unveiled on Friday a series of education policies targeting foreign students and those from multicultural families, as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to host more international students and accommodate the growing population of students who are non-native speakers of the Korean language. At the center of the plan is an overhaul of the Test of Proficiency in Korean, the standardized Korean-language exam for non-native speakers, which the Ministry of Education sa
Dec. 14, 2025 -
South Korea’s KAIST to launch stand-alone AI college in 2026 amid global talent race
South Korea’s top science and engineering university will launch a stand-alone artificial intelligence college in 2026, a move aimed at rapidly expanding the country’s capacity to train AI specialists amid intensifying competition for global talent. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the KAIST board approved the creation of the new AI college at a meeting on Thursday, with student recruitment set to begin next year. KAIST said
Dec. 12, 2025 -
Nobel chemistry laureates to join Korea University gaduate program
Korea University said Wednesday that Omar M. Yaghi of UC Berkeley and Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University — two of this year’s Nobel chemistry laureates — will join its KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, a joint program with the state-run Korea Institute of Science and Technology that pioneered Korea’s academic-affiliated professorship system. The two scholars will collaborate with Korea University researchers on interdisciplinary projects spanning energy, environment
Dec. 11, 2025 -
Seoul city education chief outlines proposal to scrap Suneung by 2040
Seoul's education chief has proposed scrapping the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, by 2040 and overhauling Korea's entire university admissions framework, arguing that the current test-centered system no longer meets the country's demographic and educational challenges. “Excessive score-based competition, the burden of private education costs and an admissions-driven, ranking-oriented school system can no longer guarantee our children’s future,” Seoul Metropolitan Education Office S
Dec. 10, 2025 -
Why Seoul parents are not put off by private elementary schools' W12m fees
Demand for private elementary schools in Seoul is surging, with applications again far outstripping places as parents seek stronger after-school programs and more reliable child care options. Last month, the city's 38 private elementary schools received 29,488 applications for the 2026 academic year, more than eight times the 3,614 places available, according to data obtained Tuesday by The Korea Herald from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The number of actual students applying will
Dec. 10, 2025 -
English kindergartens face ban on entrance exams
The National Assembly’s Education Committee on Tuesday approved an amendment that may soon bar English kindergartens and private academies for preschoolers from administering entrance exams. Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor liberal National Innovation Party on Sept. 24 introduced the amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons. It seeks to prohibit cram schools, private tutors and other private educational institutions from
Dec. 9, 2025 -
Suneung English meltdown drives students back to cram schools
The English portion of this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, saw its smallest pool of top scorers since absolute grading was introduced in 2018, raising fresh doubts over whether Korea’s exam system can ever truly reduce its reliance on private education. According to data released Friday by the Ministry of Education, only 3.11 percent of test-takers earned Level 1 — a score of 90 or above out of 100. Under what officials consider an “appropriate” difficulty level, roughly 7 p
Dec. 8, 2025 -
‘I never wanted to go to medical school’: Family rift reflects Korea’s elite-track pressures
Police were called in late November after a medical student in his 20s reported domestic abuse, saying his father -- a doctor -- was pressuring him to stay in medical school. When officers arrived, the two were in a heated standoff. The son had just submitted a voluntary withdrawal from medical school, triggering his father’s intense backlash. To support his claim, the son played an audio recording in which the father berated him: “How could you do this without consulting your family at all, whe
Dec. 8, 2025 -
Dongduk Women's University president accused of misusing school funds
Dongduk Women’s University President Kim Myeong-ae has been referred to the prosecution last month on suspicion of embezzling school funds, with the college on Thursday releasing a statement denying the accusations. Seoul’s Jongam Police Station recently sought charges against Kim for using the university’s general education budget to cover expenses unrelated to education, including legal consulting and litigation fees. The education budget, funded largely by tuition and donations, is legally re
Dec. 5, 2025 -
Japanese remains top second-language elective for Korean university hopefuls
Japanese and Hanmun — classical Chinese characters used in premodern Korean texts — remained the most popular second foreign language electives on this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, with overall preferences showing little change from previous years. According to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Education, about 50,000 students, or roughly 10 percent of all test-takers, chose to sit for a second foreign language on the Nov. 14 exam, with the English section mandator
Dec. 4, 2025 -
Dongduk Women’s University to go coed by 2029 amid student backlash
Dongduk Women’s University said Wednesday it will open its doors to men in 2029, a decision students have denounced as ignoring the continued need for women-only institutions in a country where gender bias still shapes women’s experiences. The decision follows a recommendation from the school’s Coeducation Discussion Committee, which said Monday it had completed deliberations and concluded the university should transition to a coeducational model. Despite the backlash, the university issued a st
Dec. 3, 2025 -
How teachers are navigating martial law crisis in classroom
Han Yu-ra, a 32-year-old history teacher in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, vividly remembers the night when then-President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared martial law. “As a history teacher, I was taken aback and angry, and thought I must talk about this in class the next day,” said Han, who teaches eighth and ninth graders at Chunghyeon Middle School. She frantically opened her laptop, typing, researching and creating a PowerPoint titled “2024 12.3 Crisis: The Story of Last Night.” She posted
Dec. 2, 2025