51.8% of High School Seniors Completed Vaccination... N-Susaeng Also Can Make Reservations from Late July

84% of This Week's High School Seniors and Staff Aim to Complete Vaccination
Vaccination Completion for College Applicants Before Early Admission Starts
University Entrance Exam Management Plan to Be Announced in August
PCR Testing for Academy Workers Shows Low Participation Rate

On the 21st, high school seniors waiting to receive their vaccines are lined up at the vaccination center set up at the Dongjak-gu Community Sports Center in Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] It has been reported that half of the high school seniors eligible for vaccination have completed their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The second dose will begin on August 9.

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Education announced in a regular briefing that among 630,000 high school seniors and high school staff who consented to vaccination from the 19th to the 21st, about 327,000 people, or 51.8%, received their first dose. The second dose will be administered from August 9 to 20, three weeks later.

84% of High School Seniors and Staff Vaccinated by This Week... Goal to Complete Vaccinations for All Early Admission College Applicants

An official from the Ministry of Education stated, "Although the vaccination period lasts two weeks until the end of this month, schools and vaccination centers are coordinating schedules to encourage early vaccination, aiming to vaccinate about 84% of high school seniors and staff by this week."

The Ministry of Education explained that no significant adverse reactions have been confirmed among vaccinated high school seniors. The official added, "Determining adverse reactions or links to the vaccine requires professional judgment, so it is difficult to provide detailed status. However, even among those who visited hospitals for treatment beyond common symptoms such as fever or pain, no unusual cases have been identified."

On the morning of the 3rd, high school seniors preparing for the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) are getting ready for the June mock exam at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. A total of 482,899 students registered for the first mock exam of the 2022 CSAT, which has been reorganized into an integrated liberal arts and science format. Among them, 415,794 (86.1%) are current students, and 67,105 (13.9%) are graduates and others.

Pre-registration for vaccination of repeat test-takers (N-su students) who applied for the September CSAT mock exam will begin at the end of July, with vaccinations starting in August. The Ministry of Education plans to complete vaccinations before the early admission processes at universities begin on September 15.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "We are finalizing the target group this month and are coordinating with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to ensure vaccinations can be carried out in August."

University Admission Management Plan to be Announced in August... Collecting University Opinions on Academic Affairs

On the 21st, when the revised social distancing measures to be applied from July were announced, students preparing for their final exams at Dongyang Mirae University in Guro-gu, Seoul were getting ready for their tests. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Before the early admission processes, the 2022 university admission management plan will be announced to universities nationwide in August. This is to support universities in maintaining their academic schedules in connection with the face-to-face class plan announced last month on the 24th. The Ministry of Education plans to recommend universities to allow quarantined students to participate in all admission processes.

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "We plan to distribute the third edition of the 'University-specific Admission Quarantine Management for COVID-19 Prevention,' which includes evaluation operation guidelines covering application support criteria, test site and movement management, reflecting changes in the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' related guidelines."

As the spread of COVID-19 worsens daily, changes in university academic operations before the second semester start have become inevitable. While guaranteeing universities' operational autonomy, the Ministry of Education is gathering opinions to establish a safe campus environment. On the 24th of last month, the Ministry informed universities that experiments, practical classes, and small lectures could be conducted face-to-face starting from the second semester.

There are also plans to support personnel for campus quarantine management. A budget of 5.468 billion KRW will be invested to provide about five quarantine staff per school to 374 universities nationwide. However, demand is expected to increase if face-to-face activities expand.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "We are working to secure budget for quarantine personnel in the supplementary budget to ensure effective university quarantine support. We are also discussing quarantine-related guidelines with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and expect to announce related guidelines in early August."

Vaccinations for Academy Workers in 14 Cities and Provinces Starting from the 27th

During the vacation period, priority vaccinations and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests for academy workers are also underway. Vaccinations for academy workers began on the 13th in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and will start in the remaining 14 cities and provinces from the 27th. Only Gyeongsangnam-do will begin on August 2. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of academy workers eligible for vaccination is estimated at 350,000 to 400,000, with a consent rate of about 78%.

PCR testing for academy workers is also being promoted regionally, but except for some areas where administrative orders mandate testing, there is no compulsory requirement, resulting in a low testing rate. The Ministry of Education stated that there are no plans to provide quarantine personnel support to academies.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "Except for five cities and counties where administrative orders have been issued, PCR testing for academy workers is not mandatory. Academy organizations encourage individual academies to have instructors who teach students voluntarily undergo PCR testing. We will continue to provide guidance and encourage testing."