Jeonbuk National University Disqualifies All 18 Early Admission Applicants With School Violence Records

Applicants With School Violence Records May Be Disqualified Regardless of Academic Performance
School Violence History Emerges as a Key Factor in University Admissions

Jeonbuk National University announced on December 26 that all 18 applicants with a history of school violence were disqualified in the 2026 early admission process. This demonstrates that a record of perpetrating school violence has effectively become a decisive factor in university admissions.

Jeonbuk National University disqualified all applicants with a record of level 4 or higher disciplinary action for school violence at the final registration stage, across all types of admissions including academic records-based, practical skills-based, and comprehensive evaluations. Previously, the university only considered school violence records in some admissions processes, but from this year, it has expanded the scope in line with the government’s policy to eradicate school violence.

In the academic records-based admissions, Jeonbuk National University imposed point deductions according to the severity of the disciplinary action, while in the comprehensive evaluation process, disadvantages were given through qualitative assessment. The university made it clear that school violence records will be managed as an evaluation criterion, not merely as a reference.

This trend is also common at other universities. National universities such as Kyungpook National University and Kangwon National University have already been disqualifying applicants with a history of school violence, and major universities in Seoul have also rejected candidates in both early and regular admissions due to such records. According to the Ministry of Education, among four-year universities reflecting school violence records in the 2025 admissions, about 75% of applicants with a history of perpetration were disqualified.

The Korea National University of Arts, which was at the center of controversy, has also moved to improve its system. The university faced strong criticism after it was revealed that a student with a record of school violence had been admitted, and the university recently issued an official apology at the National Assembly. The president announced that the admission decision would be reconsidered and that stricter standards for reflecting school violence records would be established in the future.

The Ministry of Education has mandated that, starting from the 2026 academic year, all universities and all admissions processes must reflect records of school violence. As a result, it is expected that the number of disqualified applicants will increase further. Now, even if an applicant has excellent CSAT or academic records, admission cannot be guaranteed if a history of school violence is confirmed.