진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel

Are Korean students rethinking Seoul, STEM and medicine?

기사 요약: 서울 지역과 의대, 이과 전공을 선호하던 한국 학생들의 대학 선택에 변화의 조짐이 보이고 있다.

[1] For more than two decades, getting accepted at top universities in Seoul, preferably in a STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or medical field, meant academic success for South Korean students and parents.

preferably: 이왕이면, 더 나은, 더 선호되는

STEM: 과학·기술·공학·수학

[2] But recent analyses of high school seniors who took the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, suggest a possible shift away from medicine and STEM fields, as well as universities in Seoul.

shift away: ~로부터의 변화

[3] On Jan. 4, Jongno Hagwon, a major college entrance preparatory academy, revealed an analysis that showed that only 7,125 students had applied to medical school, representing the lowest figure in the past five years and a 32.3 percent on-year decline. "While it appears that enthusiasm for medical school has cooled, it will be difficult to draw conclusions until next year's admissions cycle unfolds," Jongno Hagwon said.

preparatory: 준비를 위한

draw conclusions: 결론을 내리다

enthusiasm: 열정, 열의

unfold: 접혀 있는 것을 펴다, 내용이 밝혀지다

[4] Other data points suggest that students' long-standing preference for universities in Seoul may also be weakening. This year, the average competition rate for universities in the Seoul metropolitan area stood at 6.01 to 1, compared to 5.61 to 1 for universities in other regions.

long-standing: 오래동안 지속되는

기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10657700