[Lost in Education: The Admissions Roller Coaster Experienced by the Golden Pig Cohort of High School Seniors]

The Ordeal of the Golden Pig Cohort: Nine Policy Changes in 12 Years
"Student Records" in First Grade, "Regular Admissions" in Middle School,
and the Medical School Frenzy in High School
Wavering Policies Drive Students Toward Private Education

Experts point out that the collapse of public education and the surge in private education, exemplified by the so-called "age 7 civil service exam phenomenon," are largely due to inconsistent government education policies. Specifically, the problem lies in policies changing too easily and too frequently. Every time the college entrance exam system, represented by the Suneung, is revised, students and parents become increasingly dependent on private academies, and household spending on private education soars as a result.

Just how often have entrance exam policies changed? In this context, Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, presents an analysis of the changes in entrance exam systems over the past 12 years, experienced by the "golden pig" students born in 2007?who are now high school seniors in 2025?since they entered elementary school.

◆The Golden Pig Cohort Rides the Admissions Roller Coaster

The "golden pig" students, who are now in their final year of high school, entered elementary school in 2014. This cohort saw a spike in the birth rate for the first time in seven years, with about 490,000 students entering school?an increase of 45,000 from the previous year. When they were in first grade, the "Comprehensive Student Record Admissions" system was introduced for the first time. This sparked a craze among students and parents to build up their "specs"?in order to receive favorable evaluations in their student records. Experience as class president or vice president, participation in various school and extracurricular activities, and a record of awards became essential elements for college admissions.

In 2016, when the golden pig cohort reached third grade, Korean history on the Suneung was changed to an absolute grading system. This was a response to criticism that the proportion of students choosing Korean history in the college entrance exam was too low. The Ministry of Education designated Korean history as a mandatory subject for the Suneung and changed the evaluation method. Until then, Seoul National University was the only university that required Korean history as a compulsory subject.

In 2017, when the golden pig cohort was in fourth grade, English on the Suneung was also changed to an absolute grading system. The intention was to reduce the burden of English. However, since English was still graded on a relative scale in school exams, students had to prepare separately for "Suneung English" and "school English."

Lim commented, "Such inconsistent and patchwork policies have ruined entrance exam education." Around this time, a trend emerged in private education to finish Suneung English early through advanced learning and then focus entirely on other subjects, such as mathematics. The boom in English academies for young children (English kindergartens) was also closely related to the change to absolute grading for English. According to data submitted to the Ministry of Education by Jo Jeonghun, a member of the People Power Party, the number of English academies for young children increased by 37%, from 615 in 2019 to 843 in 2023.

◆"Comprehensive Student Record" in Elementary School, "Regular Admissions" in Middle School

In 2018, the so-called "Cho Kuk scandal" erupted, raising issues of unfairness through "mom's chance, dad's chance," and eventually leading to calls for the abolition of the Comprehensive Student Record Admissions system. Students and parents who had focused on school and extracurricular activities, trusting the policy, were left confused and uncertain.

In 2020, when the golden pig cohort was in their first year of middle school, 16 major universities expanded their regular admissions quota to 40%. This marked a shift back from a school grade-centered admissions system to one focused on the Suneung. The following year, the introduction of the integrated Suneung made it possible for science-track students to apply to humanities majors, and pharmacy schools nationwide switched to undergraduate admissions.

The year after that, all 39 medical schools also switched to undergraduate admissions. This was a decisive moment that intensified the concentration of students in the so-called "medical, dental, Korean medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary schools" (uigwicheehanyaksoo). Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, described this as a "revolutionary change." From this point on, top-performing students increasingly preferred medical school over other universities. Ultimately, Lim argues, the government and its inconsistent education policies are to blame for the current "medical school craze."

◆Nine Changes in 12 Years?Are Students Lab Rats?

The ever-changing admissions landscape continued into the golden pig cohort's high school years. In 2023, when they became high school freshmen, the government announced it would eliminate "killer questions" from the Suneung. While these difficult questions were removed, the authorities failed to control the overall difficulty, resulting in an exceptionally challenging exam. This drove a rush of students toward mathematics academies.

Last year, the well-known policy to increase the medical school quota by 2,000 students was implemented. This year, as high school seniors, the golden pig cohort must compete with an increased number of repeat test-takers, fueled by the expanded medical school quota. However, for next year's admissions, the increase in medical school quotas has been scrapped. The golden pig cohort is now experiencing the ultimate example of "policy chaos" in education, where everyone ends up a victim.

Since entering elementary school, the golden pig cohort has experienced a total of nine major changes in admissions policy over 12 years?meaning the system changed once every 16 months. With such frequent changes, students and parents inevitably turn to private academies and supplemental education. It is clear that public education is ill-equipped to cope with these unpredictable policy shifts. In this environment, families feel compelled to pay high tuition fees and tighten their belts just to give their children a chance to survive.

Lim Seongho stated, "Is private education fueling anxiety and causing the rush to medical schools? That's only half the story." He continued, "The real cause is the frequent changes in admissions policy. Who sent the signal that 'if you just do well on the Suneung, you can get into medical school' by switching from a graduate school (medical graduate school) system to an undergraduate (medical school) system?"