"To Go to Medical School," "Because It Doesn't Suit Me"... Students Leaving Big Corporations Behind

Increase in Dropouts from Contract Departments Guaranteed by Large Corporations
"Not Suitable for Aptitude," "For Medical and Pharmaceutical Professions"
Jongno Academy "Dropouts Expected to Increase Further"

A promotional poster related to medical school entrance exams is posted on a private academy building in Gangnam, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

It has been confirmed that the number of students dropping out midway from contract departments that guarantee employment at large corporations has increased.

According to an analysis of university information disclosure data from 'University Alimi' by Jongno Academy on the 19th, a total of 83 students dropped out midway over the past five years from eight advanced contract departments affiliated with companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, and SK Hynix. Midway dropout refers to cases where students fail to graduate due to withdrawal, repeating a year, non-registration, or not returning to school. The number of students dropping out midway from advanced contract departments was 13 in 2019, 12 in 2020, 13 in 2021, 9 in 2022, and surged to 36 last year, the highest figure in the past five years.

According to Jongno Academy, contract departments that guarantee employment at Samsung Electronics after graduation include Yonsei University’s Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, Korea University’s Department of Next-Generation Communications, Pohang University of Science and Technology’s Department of Semiconductor Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology’s Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, and Kyungpook National University’s Department of Electronic Engineering with a major in Mobile Engineering. SK Hynix has contract departments at Korea University’s Department of Semiconductor Engineering, Sogang University’s Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, and Hanyang University’s Department of Semiconductor Engineering, while Hyundai Motor Company has the Smart Mobility Division at Korea University. Among these, the number of students dropping out midway from Samsung Electronics contract departments was 67 over the past five years, SK Hynix had 12, and Hyundai Motor Company had 4.

Despite guaranteed employment at large corporations, it is presumed that students drop out because the field does not suit their aptitude or they change their career path to pursue medical or pharmaceutical professions. Additionally, the number of dropouts may have increased further since new large corporation contract departments were added as part of government policy starting last year. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy, stated, "With the expansion of medical school admission quotas in the 2025 academic year, the number of students dropping out midway from large corporation contract departments is expected to increase further."