100 days to Suneung
According to education officials, an increasing number of science-track students are choosing social studies subjects — a trend known as the 'social studies run.' As major universities now accept social studies scores to fulfill minimum Suneung requirements for admission next year, students' social studies subject choices may have a greater impact on their overall performance.
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Korea Herald
05-08-2025
- Korea Herald
100 days to Suneung
The nationally administered College Scholastic Ability Test, known locally as Suneung, is now 100 days away. This year's exam is to take place on Nov. 13 at testing centers across the country. According to education officials, an increasing number of science-track students are choosing social studies subjects — a trend known as the 'social studies run.' As major universities now accept social studies scores to fulfill minimum Suneung requirements for admission next year, students' social studies subject choices may have a greater impact on their overall performance.
Korea Herald
22-06-2025
- Korea Herald
South Korea explores AI grading to support shift to written-response assessments
South Korea is taking steps to bring artificial intelligence into one of the world's most competitive education systems, with plans to eventually apply AI grading technology to its high-stakes national university entrance exam, Suneung. The Ministry of Education revealed its vision during a recent closed-door policy briefing to the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning. According to local news outlet Newsis on Friday, officials outlined a long-term roadmap to introduce AI-based evaluation methods across the education system, including for the Suneung, which is taken by nearly half a million students each year. The ministry's plan begins with applying AI to grade written-response assessments in school settings. These include descriptive answers and essay-type questions, which South Korean educators have been gradually planning to expand in place of traditional multiple-choice formats. The Ministry stated it will review the impact of AI grading in classrooms before considering its application to Suneung. Although AI will not be used in the national exam anytime soon, the direction is clear. The ministry said it is aiming for a system that strengthens students' critical thinking and creativity without increasing teachers' workloads or fueling disputes over grading fairness. AI is expected to help by standardizing scores on subjective responses, which many educators say are hard to grade consistently. In South Korea's fiercely competitive education environment, where even small score differences can determine a student's future, public trust in grading fairness is critical. As part of its long-term goals, the ministry is also considering an AI-powered question-generation and validation system for Suneung. This would help ensure that questions are original and sufficiently distinct from one another, reducing errors and improving test quality. The policy builds on an earlier reform announced in 2023, when the ministry confirmed that from 2028, high school exams would increasingly move away from multiple-choice questions toward problem-solving and reasoning-based formats. South Korea is known to be the only OECD member country that relies exclusively on multiple-choice questions in its high-stakes national exams for high school graduation and university entrance. Meanwhile, the first pilot program using AI grading will launch this July in Gyeonggi Province. The regional education office there plans to test the system on first-year middle and high school students in Korean language, social studies, and science classes.
Korea Herald
15-10-2024
- Korea Herald
Spike in KAIST dropouts as med school draws talent away
Over the past three years, 182 students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have withdrawn from the university to pursue medical or dental school, with some even abandoning their graduate-level studies to make the switch. According to data provided by Democratic Party Rep. Hwang Jeong-ah, a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, these 182 students left KAIST between 2021 and Oct. 4 this year, specifically citing their desire to enter medical or dental programs. Of these, the majority -- 178 -- were undergraduate students. However, two master's students, one doctoral student, and one integrated master's and PhD student also left to pursue a career in healthcare. The data also shows that over 70 percent of students who transferred to other universities during this period did so to enroll in medical or dental schools. The number of students dropping out for this reason has steadily increased: 54 students left in 2021, 58 in 2022, and 62 in 2023. These figures only reflect students who explicitly stated that their reason for leaving was to enter medical or dental school, meaning the actual number of students making this shift could be even higher. A notable portion of these dropouts -- 110 students -- left before completing their first year. Meanwhile, 26 students left during their third year or later, indicating that even those further along in their studies are not immune to the pull of the medical field. Most of these withdrawals occurred in the second semester, which coincides with the period following South Korea's annual College Scholastic Ability Test in November. 'With the ongoing expansion of medical schools, we're facing a serious talent drain in critical areas like science and engineering. It's essential that we invest more in these fields and offer the necessary support to nurture the next generation of innovators,' Rep. Hwang said.
