College Admission in South Korea: Ordinary Sense of Fairness and Its Ambivalence

South Korea is known for its intense focus on education, and college admission in the country has been central to citizens’ sense of fairness. Citizens strongly believe in procedural justice, which is guaranteed by transparent and objective selection schemes based on the one-shot exam called Suneung. However, as a result of a few decades of college admission reforms, such an exam is no longer the primary route to university today. Against this background, this study explores how Korean college students understand fairness as they navigate “meritocratic” selection processes for prestigious universities.