Comparison of the number of Seoul National University (SNU) admissions in North Chungcheong Province, similar to North Jeolla Province, shows results contrary to the pledge of educational improvement by Superintendent Seo Geo-seok

During the term of North Jeolla Province Superintendent of Education, Seo Geo-seok, the rate of students from the region entering Seoul National University has drastically decreased, causing concern in the local education sector. Despite Superintendent Seo's emphasis on academic improvement and promises to enhance the quality of education, the decline in competitiveness of students from North Jeolla Province in SNU's early admissions shows a discrepancy between his public pledges and the actual results of his policies.

Number of SNU early admissions: Continuous decline in North Jeolla Province from 46 in 2022 to 18 in 2025
The number of SNU early admissions from North Jeolla Province was 46 during the term of the previous superintendent in the 2022 academic year, but it has shown a continuous decline for four years since Superintendent Seo took office, with 31 in 2023, 20 in 2024, and 18 in 2025. In particular, compared to 2022, the number of successful candidates in 2025 decreased by more than half, clearly revealing the decline in academic competitiveness in North Jeolla Province.

On the other hand, North Chungcheong Province, which has similar educational conditions to North Jeolla Province, increased from 64 in 2024 to 78 in 2025. North Chungcheong Province successfully strengthened the competitiveness of both top-tier and mid-tier schools by producing successful candidates from various high schools (approximately 37 high schools) in the region during the early admissions period. This shows a contrasting trend to North Jeolla Province.

The first announcement of successful candidates for regular admissions to SNU in the 2025 academic year is scheduled for February 7th. Therefore, if we look at the regular and early admissions from 2022 to 2024, we can see a continuous decrease from 77 in 2022, 68 in 2023, to 58 in 2024. Out of the total 58 successful candidates to SNU in 2024, 38 were from regular admissions, and 33 were from Sangsan High School, a specialized high school with nationwide recruitment. This shows that students from general high schools in North Jeolla Province are also struggling to enter SNU through regular admissions.

Problems with the operation of North Jeolla Province's curriculum and its impact
SNU's early admissions evaluate the faithfulness of the curriculum, the quality of exploratory activities, and the reliability of student records. North Jeolla Province has consistently shown shortcomings in these areas, resulting in weakened competitiveness of students.

The significant decrease in the number of successful candidates from 46 in the 2022 academic year to 18 in 2025 indicates that the strategy for early admissions was inadequate from the beginning of Superintendent Seo's term. The number of successful candidates in early admissions has continued to decrease, showing a lack of systematic university preparation that meets SNU's evaluation standards at the level of the provincial office of education.

Implications from the case of North Chungcheong Province for North Jeolla Province
North Chungcheong Province has successfully increased the number of successful candidates in SNU's early admissions and strengthened the faithfulness of the curriculum and the reliability of student records. The case of North Chungcheong Province is evaluated as an important model that the North Jeolla Province Office of Education should refer to. In particular, it stands out for effectively carrying out balanced distribution of educational resources and university preparation strategies by producing successful candidates from various high schools.

Tasks and improvement measures for Superintendent Seo Geo-seok
The decline in the rate of students from North Jeolla Province entering SNU is not just a numerical problem, but reveals a failure of overall educational policy. Superintendent Seo must face these results and establish more effective educational policies. In particular, concrete measures are needed to restore the reliability of student record management and curriculum operation, and to strengthen students' academic capabilities.

Status of SNU acceptance rate and academic ability in North Jeolla Province
The rate of students entering SNU serves as an indicator for evaluating the status of academic ability in North Jeolla Province. This is not because the goal is to enter SNU itself, but because SNU operates an evaluation system that most faithfully reflects the 2015 and 2022 revised curriculums.

SNU's student selection criteria comprehensively judge the faithfulness of curriculum operation, the reliability of student record entries, and the academic capabilities of individual students. Therefore, the rate of students entering SNU can be seen as a benchmark for evaluating not only the entrance exam results of specific schools, but also the quality of local education policies and academic environments.

The decrease in the rate of students from North Jeolla Province entering SNU can be interpreted as a result reflecting the poor operation of the curriculum and policy shortcomings beyond a simple entrance exam problem. Superintendent Seo should recognize this and prepare concrete and effective measures for improving academic ability in the region, using the SNU acceptance rate as one of the indicators. Through this, it is necessary to create an educational environment that can recover the competitiveness of education in North Jeolla Province and support students' diverse career choices and academic achievements.

* (As of 5 PM on December 25, 2024) Article corrections and additions: Correction of the number of SNU early admissions from North Jeolla Province in 2023, addition of SNU selection table, addition of results of the total number of SNU regular and early admissions from North Jeolla Province, correction of the number of early admissions from North Chungcheong Province from 79 to 78 as reported in the North Chungcheong Province press in 2025.