South Korean universities have begun denying admission to school bullies (2 photos)

South Korean universities have begun denying admission to school bullies.





The Republic of Korea has taken the problem of school bullying seriously. Now, the tendency to assert oneself at the expense of one's peers will have long-term consequences: episodes of violent behavior are now taken into account in university admissions. This year, 45 applicants have already been denied admission to universities specifically due to inappropriate behavior at school.

According to the Korean Herald, Seoul National University rejected two applicants, while Kyungbok University rejected 22. This university has introduced a strict discipline evaluation system, assigning demerit points to violators based on the severity of their actions.

"This is not just a personal offense. School violence is a violation of public trust. We believe universities have a responsibility to uphold public values," the university said in a statement.

This trend will soon become the new norm: starting next year, all universities in the country will be required to consider school violence records when admitting applicants. Ten national teacher training colleges have already announced that starting next year, any applicant found guilty of school violence, regardless of the severity, will automatically be disqualified from admission.

Behind this policy are deeper cultural changes. Until the mid-2000s, school violence in South Korea was often dismissed as "boyish behavior" or simply personal disputes between students. But in recent years, it has come to be viewed as a full-blown social problem.

"Victims of school bullying say the experience has impacted their entire lives," said one high school teacher. "Bullies need to know that their behavior at school can impact their future lives, and the admissions committee monitors this."

Perhaps this measure could indeed force aggressive students to reflect on their actions. After all, even today, many residents of the republic view university admission not just as an academic milestone, but as a path to stable employment and lifelong status.