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K-Arts cancels admission offer to student with school violence record

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 14:17

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Pyeon Jang-wan, president of the Korea National University of Arts, delivers a policy report at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 28, regarding the admission of a student with a record of school violence. [YONHAP]

The Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) has canceled a prospective student’s admission due to their history of school violence, the university said Friday.

The decision was made on Thursday by the university’s admissions policy committee, which had 12 members, including professors and outside experts.

The committee unanimously agreed to cancel the admission offer after reviewing multiple matters, including disciplinary actions taken against the student and the need to protect the educational rights of the school community.

The university said it will proceed with the legal and administrative procedures to finalize the decision.

Recently, K-Arts sparked backlash for admitting a student who had previously received a Level 4 disciplinary action for school violence — a penalty that includes mandatory community service and is recorded on the student’s permanent school record. The student was set to enroll as a first year student in March 2026.

K-Arts acknowledged a fault in the admissions process. The school, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, did not incorporate updated government guidelines that require admissions committees to consider applicants’ school violence records.

“We finalized the admissions guidelines for the 2026 school year on March 31 without reflecting the government rules,” a K-Arts spokesperson said. “We recognize the seriousness of the situation.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]