Number of college students on leave on sharp rise

The number of university students on leave has reached a record high of one out of three. The reason behind the high numbers is thought to be the deteriorating economy.

The Ministry of Education revealed that out of 1.63 million students studying at 161 public and private universities, 527,316 students, or 31.6% of the total, are currently on leave for the second semester. This is an increase of 18,669 students from the first semester figure of 508,647 (30.5%).

The reasons for taking leave were military enlistment at 314,460 students (59.6%), general leave at 197,049 (37.4%), and leave due to an excess number of students was 15,807 (3.0%).

An official of the Ministry of Education said the number of students taking leave is increasing as the economy deteriorates. In the case of regional university students, the number of students trying to enroll at Seoul universities has boosted the number of students on leave.