National Assembly, Government, and Civic Groups Unite: “Ban on Stating Alma Mater in Recruitment... Call for February Passage of 'Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act'”

January 20, National Convention for the Promotion of the School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act
Cha Jeongin: "The extreme college admissions system stems from recruitment... Focus on character and job competency"
Choi Gyojin: "A society where ability is recognized over academic background is the start of a fair society"

In order to address issues such as the ranking-based college admissions system and the resulting problems with private education, education authorities, politicians, and civic groups have agreed that the recruitment culture centered on academic background must change first.

On January 20, National Education Commission Chairman Cha Jeongin, Minister of Education Choi Gyojin, and Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon, together with Kang Deukgu, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, and over 300 civic organizations, called for the passage of the “Partial Amendment to the Act on Fairness in Recruitment Procedures (School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act)” in the February session of the National Assembly at the “National Convention for the Promotion of the School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act,” co-hosted by the National Movement for the Prevention of School Background Recruitment Discrimination (National Movement). The event was also attended by Jeong Geunsik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Kang Kyungsook, a member of the National Assembly’s Education Committee from the Rebuilding Korea Party, and Baek Seunga, a member of the Democratic Party, among others, who lent their support.

The “School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act” was sponsored by Assemblyman Kang Deukgu in September of last year. Under current law, information such as “place of origin, marital status, and property” is considered unnecessary for job performance and must not be requested or recorded during recruitment. The core of the amendment is to expand this scope to include “educational background, alma mater, and religion.” The bill was discussed once in a National Assembly standing committee in November of last year and aims to pass the National Assembly plenary session in February of this year.

According to a perception survey conducted by the education civic group Education Spring and Assemblyman Kang’s office in September 2024, 85.2% of respondents answered that academic background has an influence in the hiring process, and 62.8% agreed on the need to establish legal measures to regulate discrimination based on educational background.

Yonhap News Agency

In his keynote speech, Chairman Cha Jeongin stated, “The extreme college admissions system stems from recruitment practices,” adding, “The School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act is about evaluating applicants based on their job competencies at the time of application. It will be the first arrow fired by the National Assembly to directly target the monstrous academic elitism that has hindered social reform and educational development.”

Minister Choi Gyojin said, “Academic elitism has driven our entire society into overheated competition for college admissions, which in turn has increased private education. If we become a society where people are evaluated based on ability, not alma mater, we expect public education to normalize rapidly and the problem of excessive private education to be alleviated.”

Minister Kim Younghoon pledged, “As the head of the responsible ministry, I will actively support the amendment of the law.”

Song Insu, Executive Director of the National Movement, said, “I hope the School Background Recruitment Discrimination Prevention Act will be passed in the National Assembly plenary session as early as February, and at the latest by May or June.”