Korea University, University of Seoul confirmed for fraudulent admissions
By Lee Kyung-min
Police are looking into admissions records of more than 200 universities over the past five years with a four-year-curricula after four students were found to have been admitted due to lax reviews of government-issued certificates for the physically challenged.
One of them was admitted to Korea University and the other three to the University of Seoul. One of them claimed to have a visual impairment.
The investigation followed a request form the Ministry of Education which detected the irregularity at the two universities earlier this month.
In a notice sent by the ministry, universities are required to voluntarily report any irregularities they were aware of by mid-January, or be subject to prosecution.
Korea University said the student in question is being processed for admissions cancellation, vowing to cooperate with the police investigation. It said it would take legal action against the individual.
The ministry suspects a broker was involved in the process, as the four certificates had identical handwriting including signatures.
The assessment also followed a tipoff that the alleged broker received tens of millions of won (about tens of thousands of dollars) from each of the four students' parents.
The broker, according to police, took advantage of a system in which the competition rate for the physically challenged is close to zero, meaning every applicant is guaranteed admission once they submit the necessary documents.
Last year, of about 1,500 slots open for such students at 124 universities, only 800 were filled.
Meanwhile, the irregularity reflects the distorted values put on entering good universities in Korea, where students and their parents believe the university they attend determines the rest of their adult lives.
The yearly held College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) is considered the most important priority. The government delayed administering the CSAT for a week this year following a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern city of Pohang in November.
Students who are not confident in getting high scores or do not want to risk everything on the once-in-a-year opportunity try to increase their chances of admissions into prestigious universities by applying for early decisions or other means, including fraud.
By Lee Kyung-min
Police are looking into admissions records of more than 200 universities over the past five years with a four-year-curricula after four students were found to have been admitted due to lax reviews of government-issued certificates for the physically challenged.
One of them was admitted to Korea University and the other three to the University of Seoul. One of them claimed to have a visual impairment.
The investigation followed a request form the Ministry of Education which detected the irregularity at the two universities earlier this month.
In a notice sent by the ministry, universities are required to voluntarily report any irregularities they were aware of by mid-January, or be subject to prosecution.
Korea University said the student in question is being processed for admissions cancellation, vowing to cooperate with the police investigation. It said it would take legal action against the individual.
The ministry suspects a broker was involved in the process, as the four certificates had identical handwriting including signatures.
The assessment also followed a tipoff that the alleged broker received tens of millions of won (about tens of thousands of dollars) from each of the four students' parents.
The broker, according to police, took advantage of a system in which the competition rate for the physically challenged is close to zero, meaning every applicant is guaranteed admission once they submit the necessary documents.
Last year, of about 1,500 slots open for such students at 124 universities, only 800 were filled.
Meanwhile, the irregularity reflects the distorted values put on entering good universities in Korea, where students and their parents believe the university they attend determines the rest of their adult lives.
The yearly held College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) is considered the most important priority. The government delayed administering the CSAT for a week this year following a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern city of Pohang in November.
Students who are not confident in getting high scores or do not want to risk everything on the once-in-a-year opportunity try to increase their chances of admissions into prestigious universities by applying for early decisions or other means, including fraud.
![[INTERVIEW] Can art become stable investment source?](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/d9b4b117e5b74f4c931de724ebd2ee68.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Choi Min-sik, Lee Dong-hwi on creating Korean-style noir with 'Big Bet'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8b795a8f6b42492db4e8fdc47e9abd8d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Ahn Jae-hong on playing underdog basketball coach in 'Rebound'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/fe381342632c46bfa6d3245cb475676e.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
