South Korea expands public college counseling as student record ban takes effect

South Korea's Ministry of Education is set to enforce a ban on the commercial use of student records, part of an amendment to the elementary‑middle school education law that takes effect on the 29th. The ban forces private entrance‑exam companies such as Jin‑hak‑sa to suspend their online "admission‑success prediction" services, prompting complaints from high‑school seniors and their parents who rely on these tools for strategy planning.

To fill the resulting information gap, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced an expansion of public college‑admissions counseling. From the 29th to the 1st of the following month it will run a one‑on‑one counseling center at the Jamsil Student Gymnasium for 2,040 local students and parents, up from 1,500 the previous year, and will later add online video counseling for up to 600 participants. Officials say the move, backed by experienced teachers and tools such as the "Senjinak Compass" web service, aims to reduce anxiety and inequality caused by the sudden loss of private consulting services.