South Korean university admissions system controversy

A technical failure in South Korea’s university admissions process has triggered a controversy regarding fairness and equity. On September 11, an error in the Uway Apply system prevented approximately 1,200 students from completing their applications and payments before the deadline.

While the Ministry of Education and the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) initiated a relief process using digital logs to verify affected students, new concerns have emerged regarding the extension of the application deadline. Because 17 universities released their competition rates at the original 6:00 PM deadline, there are allegations that students who applied during the extended period may have gained an unfair advantage by selecting departments based on those rates.

The Ministry of Education is reviewing the situation and considering the cancellation of applications that appear to have been submitted unfairly after competition rates were made public. In response, students and parents have launched petitions calling for greater transparency and a complete overhaul of the private-sector-led application system.

Following an investigation into the 2027 academic year rolling admissions process, officials are now considering transferring the management of the admissions system from private agencies to public institutions, such as the KCUE, to ensure stability and prevent future occurrences.