South Korea investigates university admissions system failure

South Korea’s Ministry of Education has launched an investigation into a system failure during the 2027 academic year university rolling admissions process. The error, which occurred on September 11 via the private agency Uway Apply, prevented an estimated 1,200 students from completing their applications before the original 6:00 PM deadline.

While the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) extended the deadline to 7:00 PM to allow for relief, a major controversy regarding fairness has emerged. Seventeen universities reportedly released their application competition rates at 6:00 PM, the original deadline. This allowed some students to view the rates before submitting their applications during the extended hour, creating an information advantage over those who had already applied.

The Ministry of Education is currently reviewing cases where applications were submitted after these rates were made public and is considering canceling such applications in consultation with universities. Relief measures for students who were unable to complete their applications due to the technical error are underway, based on digital logs of login and payment attempts.

In response to the incident, officials are considering transferring the management of the admissions system from private agencies to public institutions like the KCUE to ensure stability and prevent future occurrences.