Education Ministry to Run Focused Admissions Fraud Reporting Period Through January

[Financial News] The Ministry of Education will operate a focused admissions fraud reporting period starting on the 7th, when applications for the 2027 academic year begin. Until January 7 next year, it will accept reports of conduct that violates laws or regulations related to admissions and undermines fair competition. Strict action will be taken if misconduct is confirmed.
According to the Ministry of Education on the 6th, priority targets for reporting include systematically recruiting and falsely registering students who have no intention of enrolling in order to fill incoming-student quotas, as well as violating regulations during the admissions evaluation process.
Major cases include obtaining the personal information of students with no intention of enrolling, completing and submitting applications on their behalf, registering them as new students, and then processing their withdrawals. They also include having a third party change applicants’ preferred departments to departments expected to have vacancies, followed by collectively transferring them after admission to popular departments they actually wanted to attend. Evaluators who fail to recuse themselves when assessing applicants with whom they have a special relationship, and interview panelists who collude to give a particular applicant the same score, are also subject to reporting.
Post-admission sanctions for admissions fraud have also been strengthened. Amendments to the Public Educational Officials Act and the Private School Act extended the statute of limitations for disciplinary action against misconduct that undermines fairness in student selection from three years to 10 years. The extension applies to cases in which the grounds for disciplinary action arise on or after February 15, 2026, when the amendments take effect. In addition, an amendment to the enforcement decree of the Higher Education Act established a legal basis for canceling admission when an applicant takes a university-administered examination using information obtained through improper means, such as solicitation, from an admissions officer or an external committee member.
Admissions fraud can be reported at any time through the Ministry of Education’s Admissions Fraud Reporting Center. Reports should include the party responsible for the misconduct, specific details of the violation, and relevant evidence. Personal information, including the identity of public-interest whistleblowers, will be protected under the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers Act.
The Ministry of Education has operated the Admissions Fraud Reporting Center since 2023. Reported cases are investigated in accordance with audit procedures, and action is taken when misconduct is confirmed.
Hong Su-young, acting inspector general at the Ministry of Education, said, "Active reporting is of utmost importance to establish a fair admissions system." Hong added, "We will conduct thorough investigations into cases reported during this focused reporting period and work to eradicate admissions fraud. "

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter