School Educational System of the Republic of Korea- All nationals of the Republic of Korea have equal opportunities for elementary, secondary, and higher education without discrimination regardless of their abilities. All children shall receive compulsory education for nine years from elementary school to middle school, and tuition fees are free for this period.
Admission Procedure for Children with the Nationality of the Republic of Korea
Admission procedure for compulsory education
- Procedure for admission to and transfer of elementary school
· The head of an Eup/Myeon/Dong shall give to prospective schoolchildren's guardians a notice to attend school by December 20 of the preceding year of the year to which the date of entrance to a school belongs, with designating prospective schools for them to attend and specifying admission dates (Article 17 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
· Where any elementary school student intends to change schools due to a change of address, his/her guardian shall inform the principal of the school which he/she attends and the school to which he/she intends to transfer through the head of the competent Eup/Myeon/Dong (Article 21(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
· The above school principal of the school in which the student will transfer to will have been notified to check the computer information and data of the student’s resident registration by sharing administrative information under Article 36 (1) of the Electronic Government Act. However, if the guardian of the relevant students does not consent to such confirmation, he/she shall have the relevant guardian submit x-documents verifying the change of residence (Article 21 (3) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
- Procedure for admission to middle school
· A person who intends to enter middle school shall submit an allocation form for a middle school to Middle School Admission Sortition Management Committees to which the elementary school from which he/she graduated belongs (Article 43 (2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Article 71 of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
· The head of the district office of education shall allocate schools for applicants for admission to middle schools to enter through sortition according to districts and school groups (Article 43 (2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Article 68 of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
Admission Procedure for Children with a Foreign Nationality
Procedure for admission and transfer
- The guardian of a foreign child or student may apply for the admission or transfer of the foreign child or student to the head of an elementary school in the school district where his/her residence is located, instead of following the procedures for admission or transfer under Articles 17 and 21 of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Article 19 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
※ The head of an elementary school who receives such application shall verify the details of the certificate of the entry into and departure from Korea, or of the certificate of an alien registration under Article 88 of the Immigration Control Act by sharing administrative information under Article 36 (1) of the Electronic Government Act: Provided that where the guardian of a foreign child or student does not consent to such verification, the head of the relevant school shall have him/her submit any of the following documents (Article 19 (2) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act):
· A document that proves the entry into and departure from Korea and verify the alien registration;
· A document that verifies his/her residence in Korea, such as a written lease contract or letter of guarantee from his/her neighbor.