KBS 'In-Depth 60 Minutes' Sheds Light on the Surge of Repeat Exam Takers for the 2027 Academic Year and the Reality of College Admissions

KBS 1TV 'In-Depth 60 Minutes' will broadcast the first part of its two-part special 'N-su Society' titled 'College Entrance N-su, Children Trapped in Admissions' on Friday, September 4, at 10 PM. With the number of repeat exam takers (N-su) expected to reach an all-time high for the 2027 academic year college admissions, this broadcast focuses on the reality of students choosing to drop out and re-enroll to prepare for exams.

The Reality of High School Dropouts and GPA Resets

Recently, cases of students choosing to drop out of high school as part of their college entrance strategy have been increasing. As of 2025, the number of high school students who discontinued their studies exceeded 18,000, with more than 10,000 of them being first-year high school dropouts. Due to anxiety over grades following the implementation of the 5-tier GPA system, students even undertake re-enrollment for a so-called 'GPA reset' to erase their existing grades and start over.

The Era of 180,000 Repeat Exam Takers and the Burden of Private Education Costs

The private education market for repeat exam takers has grown to an annual scale of 3 trillion won. The average monthly cost for comprehensive repeat exam academies exceeds 2 million won, and housing costs near Daechi-dong also reach around 1.5 million to 2 million won per month. According to a 2024 survey, one in four students who entered university after taking repeat exams came from households with a monthly income of 8 million won or more, and their private education experience rate was 85.5%, which is higher than the overall average of 76.4%.

Source: KBS Press Release

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