Politics · South Korea · 1 hr ago
South Korea’s university admissions body delays random application numbers over technical concerns
South Korea’s university admissions council is considering changing how application numbers are assigned.
The numbers can reveal how many people have applied to a university, allowing applicants to estimate competition for places.
A review found that more than 140 of 165 universities that provided information could have their applicant numbers estimated this way.
Council head Lee Ki-jung told lawmakers that some universities already use random numbers, but introducing them across regular admissions this year could cause technical problems.
He said the change would be made when the system was technically reliable.
The council is also studying possible remedies for students affected by an earlier admissions-system outage, and plans to assess where additional applicants were admitted.
It is reviewing whether to strengthen public responsibility for the admissions system, with a focus on stability, security and disaster response.
South Korea’s university admissions body says technical concerns make it difficult to introduce randomized application numbers for this year’s regular admissions.
Korean Council for University Education President Lee Ki-jung said the change would be made only when there was technical confidence in the system.
Application numbers can reveal how many people have applied and allow others to estimate competition rates.
More than 140 of 165 universities that submitted information were found to have this vulnerability.
The council is also reviewing whether to strengthen public responsibility for the admissions application system.
- Who
- The Korean Council for University Education and its president, Lee Ki-jung.
- What
- The council says technical concerns make it difficult to randomize application numbers for this year’s regular admissions.
- When
- Lee made the remarks on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- At a National Assembly Education Committee audit in South Korea.
- Why
- The council is concerned about possible system conflicts and wants technical confidence before using random numbers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Randomization is currently being used at some universities.
We are trying to find a way to use it for regular admissions if possible, but we are quite concerned there could be another system conflict.
We will use it when we have technical confidence.
The council investigated and found that application numbers could reveal actual applicant totals.
Lee Ki-jung told a National Assembly committee that technical difficulties made randomizing numbers for this year’s regular admissions a concern.
- Universities surveyed
- More than 140 of 165
- Admissions process
- Regular admissions this year
- Issue
- Application numbers can reveal actual applicant totals and help estimate competition rates
- Council president
- Lee Ki-jung
Sources
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