More than half of South Korean universities fell in the latest QS Asian university rankings, with institutions outside the Seoul metropolitan area accounting for most of the declines.
Five of the six Korean universities in the top 20 are based in Seoul, underscoring the growing disparity between higher education institutes in the capital region and those in other areas of the country.
According to the 2027 QS World University Rankings: Asia, released Tuesday by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds, 56 percent of previously ranked Korean universities saw their positions decline from the previous year, while 35 percent climbed and 9 percent remained unchanged.
The decline was particularly pronounced among universities outside the greater Seoul area.
Of the 61 previously ranked universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area, 38 saw their rankings fall, while only 17 recorded improvements. By comparison, 20 of the 42 universities in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province fell in the rankings, while 19 climbed.
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