Education Ministry reviews applications submitted after ratio disclosure
Up to 1,200 applicants left unregistered; relief measures to begin
Seventeen universities that extended their early admissions application deadlines after an online system outage were found to have publicly disclosed competition ratios at the time of the original deadline, the Ministry of Education confirmed Wednesday.
The Ministry of Education and the Korean Council for University Education said they would review applications submitted after the ratios were disclosed and consult with the affected universities on possible measures, including canceling those applications in cases suspected of unfairness.
The ministry released an update Wednesday on steps taken in response to the outage in the Uwayapply early admissions system. According to the ministry, 17 of the universities that extended their application deadlines on Friday had disclosed competition ratios as of 6 p.m. that day. The ministry and the council are currently reviewing applications submitted to those universities during the extended window after the ratios became public.
The incident began around 5:50 p.m. Friday when Uwayapply experienced a system failure that disrupted application submissions and payment processing. Universities extended their deadlines from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., but the disclosure of competition ratios at some institutions sparked a fairness controversy.
Critics noted that applicants who submitted during the extended window — unlike those who had already applied — were able to check the disclosed ratios before choosing which universities and departments to apply to.
The ministry said it plans to consult with universities and consider measures including canceling applications flagged as suspicious. However, the mere fact that an application was submitted after the ratio disclosure does not automatically result in cancellation. Each case will be reviewed individually and discussed with the relevant university before a course of action is determined.
The ministry also reiterated the eligibility criteria for relief for applicants affected by the system failure. Only those with an error log recorded at the time of the outage — 5:50 p.m. — and a history of application activity at the university where they sought relief, such as drafting, saving, submitting or attempting payment, will qualify.
About 1,200 applicants were found to have been unable to complete their applications even after the deadline extension. The ministry said the number ultimately granted relief is expected to be lower once the eligibility criteria are strictly applied.
The Ministry of Education and the Korean Council for University Education said they would provide relief to applicants who were unable to submit their applications normally due to the system failure, based on objective technical records, while refusing to accommodate cases involving unfair conduct. They added that they would investigate the precise cause of the incident, review the response process and examine the overall system operations and management framework to develop preventive measures.
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