Photo : YONHAP News
Bank of Korea(BOK) Governor Rhee Chang-yong rebutted criticism of a central bank report proposing that universities change their admission policies and allot places to students from different regions of the country, based on local demographics.
During a parliamentary audit of the BOK by the National Assembly’s Planning and Finance Committee on Monday, Rhee responded to comments from Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Cha Gyu-geun, who said Seoul National University had called the policy “unrealistic,” while Korea University thought it was “premature” and Yonsei University favored a “long-term approach.”
Rhee suggested the universities should change their mindset, considering that universities in other parts of the world do not recruit so many students from a single area.
The BOK chief noted that 32 percent of Seoul National University students are from Seoul while its high school student population is only 16 percent of the nationwide total.
He said the university could easily allocate 80 percent of its seats to students from outside the capital, basing admission numbers on the population of high school students in each region.
In August, the BOK released a report advancing the idea of such a system, citing uneven access to education as a key driver of real estate prices in the capital region.