Additional filings confirmed at 80 universities

73.1% had error logs from time of outage

39 applications filed at 17 schools that had published competition ratios

Ministry moves to overhaul disclosure rules ahead of regular admissions round

Song Geun-hyeon, the Ministry of Education's director general for university policy (third from left), bows after briefing reporters at Government Complex Sejong on the results of measures taken in response to the system failure affecting Uwayapply's application portal for the 2027 academic year's early admissions round, including the handling of relief requests. [Yonhap]
Song Geun-hyeon, the Ministry of Education's director general for university policy (third from left), bows after briefing reporters at Government Complex Sejong on the results of measures taken in response to the system failure affecting Uwayapply's application portal for the 2027 academic year's early admissions round, including the handling of relief requests. [Yonhap]

A total of 3,184 additional applications were filed at 80 universities after deadlines were extended following a system failure in the early admissions portal for the 2027 academic year. Of those, 855 had no error logs from the time of the outage.

Amid a fairness controversy over the deadline extension, the Ministry of Education said it would extend its special investigation into Uwayapply and move to strengthen its response framework ahead of the regular admissions round.

The ministry on Wednesday released an analysis of additional applications filed following the extended deadline and outlined its plans going forward. Of the 116 universities scheduled to close applications at 6 p.m. on Sept. 11, 100 extended their deadlines due to the Uwayapply system failure. Among those, 3,184 additional applications were submitted across 1,781 recruitment units and admission tracks at 80 universities — an average of about 1.79 per unit or track.

Of the additional applications, 2,329 — or 73.1 percent — were matched to computer records showing that an error had occurred while the applicant was submitting. The ministry said the remaining 855 cases included instances where no log was generated because the system failure had prevented users from logging in at all.

The average competition ratio at the 80 universities that received additional applications rose from 10.25-to-1 to 10.27-to-1 compared with the original 6 p.m. cutoff. Looking only at the 1,781 recruitment units and tracks that received additional filings, the average ratio rose from 13.66-to-1 to 13.76-to-1.

The volume of additional applications varied by recruitment unit and track. In 1,244 units and tracks — 69.8 percent of the total — exactly one additional application was received. By contrast, 18 units and tracks each received 10 or more additional applications, totaling 535 filings, and their average competition ratio climbed from 34.12-to-1 to 34.73-to-1. The ministry said cases with 10 or more additional applications were concentrated in essay-based and practical-skills tracks, which had already carried high competition ratios.

Lee Gi-jeong, chairman of the Korean Council for University Education, and Seong Yun-seok, chief executive of Uwayapply, deliver an apology at a press conference held at the Korean Council for University Education in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]
Lee Gi-jeong, chairman of the Korean Council for University Education, and Seong Yun-seok, chief executive of Uwayapply, deliver an apology at a press conference held at the Korean Council for University Education in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]

At 17 universities where final competition ratios had been made public during the extension period, a total of 39 applications were filed across 35 recruitment units and tracks, with no unit or track receiving more than two additional filings. Final competition ratios reflecting both the additional applications and confirmed post-deadline relief cases are available on individual university websites and the application portal.

The ministry said the deadline extension was a measure to minimize harm to applicants through no fault of their own, adding that the decision was not made arbitrarily but followed the outage-response manual and required individual consent from each affected university.

However, the ministry said it takes the fairness and equity concerns raised by the extension seriously and will conduct a comprehensive review of the relevant system, manual and management framework.

The special investigation into Uwayapply will also be extended. Beyond the cause of the failure, investigators plan to examine the overall operation of the application system as well as stability measures and management procedures. A detailed investigation schedule will be set based on the findings of the first phase, and the ministry said it will determine the cause and assign responsibility accordingly.

A joint task force bringing together the Ministry of Education, the Korean Council for University Education and private application agencies began operating Wednesday in preparation for the regular admissions round, which opens Jan. 4.

The TF will review the service operation frameworks of application agencies and examine outage-response manuals, communication procedures and simulation drills. It will also develop improvements to how final competition ratios are disclosed, to prevent a repeat of the confusion caused by their release during the extension period.


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