South Korea's architect licensing system is set for a sweeping overhaul to bring it in line with international standards.
Starting next year, high school graduates will no longer be eligible to sit the architect qualification exam — even if they pass a preliminary test and accumulate field experience. Candidates will instead be required to complete a five-year architecture program accredited by the Korea Architecture Accrediting Board, or its equivalent, and undergo at least three years of practical training before they can apply.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Sunday that it has finalized a plan to reform the architect qualification system, with the aim of cultivating globally competitive architecture professionals. The new regime will be introduced in phases and take full effect in 2032.
The government amended the Architects Act in 2011 to align academic and field-experience requirements for the licensing exam with international norms. A transitional arrangement introduced at that time expires at the end of this year, prompting the ministry to revise both the exam structure and the practical training system.
Under the current rules, graduates of high schools or two- to four-year college architecture programs can sit a special track of the qualification exam after passing a preliminary test and completing five years of field experience. From next year, only those who have finished a five-year architecture program or a graduate architecture school accredited by the Korea Architecture Accrediting Board — and completed at least three years of practical training at an architecture firm — will be eligible.
The ministry also plans to restructure exam subjects so that both the academic curriculum and the practical training at architecture firms are more closely tied to real-world architectural work, while diversifying question formats. The practical component — including drawing ability — will be scaled back or simplified, and a new written exam will be introduced.
To comprehensively assess candidates' knowledge of building regulations, related technologies, and structural safety, the written exam will draw from a question bank and include multiple-choice questions as well as descriptive questions designed to evaluate professional knowledge and practical understanding. The practical exam will be streamlined from five tasks to two, and the answer sheet size will be reduced from A3 to B4, with a grid printed on it so that drawings can be made without a drafting board or ruler.
For foreign architects, the exam subject currently exempted — the first session on site planning — will be changed to the third session on architectural design. The ministry also plans to establish criteria ensuring that only those whose qualifications are recognized as equivalent to those of domestic architects may sit the exam.
The reformed exam will take effect in 2032, giving prospective architecture students five years to prepare. From 2027, the qualification exam will be held once a year, in early March. Subject-pass carryovers — which currently allow candidates to skip already-passed subjects for up to five attempts within five years — will remain valid only through 2031. Under the 2032 reform, that window will be reduced to three attempts within three years.
On the practical training side, the ministry will strengthen the management framework by breaking down required competencies into more specific categories and requiring trainees to log their training content and hours. Four new training categories will be added, expanding the detailed task list to 45 items. The minimum number of required training days across three years will be subdivided from three areas into eight subjects, with a mandatory five-day minimum per subject to ensure well-rounded practical experience.
The revised practical training requirements will apply to first-time registrants from 2028, giving prospective trainees and architecture firms sufficient time to prepare, and are timed to align with the 2032 exam overhaul.
To ensure the reform proceeds without delay, the ministry plans to announce legislative amendments to the enforcement decree and rules of the Architects Act before the end of this year.
A question bank will be developed, a work guidebook published, and mock exams held ahead of the reformed qualification exam launching in 2032. For practical training, a management system and supplementary education programs will be developed, with enhanced oversight beginning in 2028.
Kim I-tak, first vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, said the reform plan was the product of extensive discussion and consensus among academics, industry professionals, and other stakeholders in the architecture sector. "I hope this plan is carried through as intended, so that architects can proactively respond to future changes in the field, take pride in their work, and earn the respect of society," he said.
smh@heraldcorp.com
