Sogang University is facing backlash after opening a dedicated admissions track for refugees in its 2027 freshman recruitment plan.
In June, the Ministry of Justice and Sogang University signed a memorandum of understanding to establish South Korea's first system to select two refugee-background students annually, supporting them from university admission through to post-graduation employment and entrepreneurship.
According to Sogang University's admission guidelines for the refugee track, eligible applicants are foreign students who have been recognized as refugees or granted humanitarian stay permits under the Refugee Act. They must also hold a high school diploma or equivalent qualification from South Korea or abroad and possess a certain level of Korean or English proficiency.
Instead of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the admissions process relies entirely on document evaluations, such as high school transcripts and language proficiency certificates.
Successful applicants will receive full tuition scholarships for up to eight semesters, provided they maintain a specified minimum grade point average while enrolled.
They will also receive living expenses, housing support, and psychological counseling.
At the time of the agreement, Sogang University President Sim Jong-hyuk stated, "For young people forced to leave their homes due to war, violence, poverty, and persecution, education is a door of hope to start life anew," adding, "I hope our society moves forward as a more inclusive and responsible community."
However, online reactions have criticized the move as reverse discrimination, raising concerns over fairness toward domestic test-takers.
Netizens responded with comments such as, "Find smart students from struggling families in Korea and support their tuition," and "Even South Korean applicants struggle to get in, yet they are creating a track for refugees."
On the other hand, counter-arguments also emerged, with some stating, "South Korea is a country that once studied abroad in various developed nations and received educational benefits when it was poor," and "Shouldn't we pay that back now?"
Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Kim Min-ji | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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