Korea National University of Arts Reaches Final Decision to Deny Admission to Applicant with School Violence Record

Admissions Policy Committee Reaches Decision to Deny Enrollment

Korea National University of Arts, which had sparked controversy over the admission of a successful applicant with a history of school violence, has ultimately decided not to allow the student to enroll. The university concluded that denying admission was unavoidable, considering the educational impact and the safety of the community.

On the 28th of last month, Pyeon Jangwan, President of Korea National University of Arts, was giving a status report regarding the admission of examinees with records of school violence perpetrators at the full meeting of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. Photo by Yonhap News

On December 5, Korea National University of Arts announced that it had convened an Admissions Policy Committee the previous day and resolved not to permit the enrollment of the admitted student with a record of school violence, following a review of the matter.

The Admissions Policy Committee is composed of 12 members, including faculty from the university and external experts. The committee reportedly reached this decision after a comprehensive review of the student’s disciplinary record, the potential impact on the educational environment, and the need to protect the safety and learning rights of the community. The university plans to finalize the decision through follow-up procedures in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act and other relevant regulations.

Previously, it came to light that an applicant who had received a Level 4 school violence sanction (community service) was included on the list of successful candidates for the 2026 academic year entrance process. This sanction is a disciplinary action recorded in the student’s school records, and the Ministry of Education requires universities to reflect such records in their admissions process. However, as a national university under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea National University of Arts was found to have not been aware of this guideline and therefore did not apply it during admissions.

A university official explained, “We failed to reflect the relevant criteria when finalizing the admissions guidelines for the 2026 academic year on March 31 this year,” adding, “We recognize the seriousness of the situation in which an applicant with a history of school violence was admitted.”

Meanwhile, some universities have already included school violence records as an evaluation factor for admissions since the 2025 academic year. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Education to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Youngho, out of 134 four-year universities that provided data (out of a total of 193), 61 institutions used school violence disciplinary records in their admissions evaluation. Among 397 applicants with such records, 298 (about 75%) were rejected during the process.