A group of Korean students in Japan and their supporters Monday asked the Education Ministry for fair treatment and the right to take national university entrance examinations.

Armed with more than 1,300 signatures -- including those of many professors -- representatives of the group, which is seeking application rights for Korean residents, asked ministry officials to allow universities to decide their own qualification criteria.

But the officials denied Korean students are treated unfairly and said the ministry does not plan to make any changes to the current law, representatives of the group said. "By not being accredited by the government, Korean students must endure both mental and financial suffering," said Che Gwan Gi, a Nihon University student who leads the group.

Under the School Education Law, Korean and other non-Japanese schools in the country are categorized as "vocational schools" rather than high schools, Che said. Their diplomas, therefore, do not qualify them to take national university exams. Although the majority of public and private universities accept Korean residents' applications, all national universities remain exclusive to Korean school graduates, Che said.

According to the group, nine students from Korean high schools applied to take entrance exams for national universities this year. All of them were rejected. "I was really shocked to receive a simple letter of rejection," said Ko Yong Hwa, a third-year student at Tokyo Korean High School who had hoped to attend Saitama University. "Aside from Korean cultural studies, we learn material that is (equal to that taught at Japanese schools). I want the situation to be resolved soon," she said.

Sumiko Shimizu, a Lower House member who accompanied the group's representatives on their meeting with the ministry, was critical of the officials' negative response. "Hard-working Korean students are able to make precious contributions to our country," Shimizu said. "By not taking their human rights seriously, Japan will be left out from the rest of the world that is becoming increasingly aware of human rights issues," she said.