The Tokyo University of Foreign Languages on Wednesday became the first national university to allow students of pro-Pyongyang Korean schools in Japan to take standard entrance exams.
At present, students who graduate from special educational institutions such as ethnic schools must take a separate exam -- the "daiken" -- to prove they have the academic ability to take an entrance exam for a national university.
In August, the education ministry eased requirements for students attending foreign schools, but one condition was that the schools' curricula could be confirmed as matching those of corresponding schools in their home country. This stipulation effectively ruled out pro-Pyongyang Korean schools.
The university decided that students who have studied at a school that has at least a three-year curriculum and requires at least 2,590 hours in the classroom to qualify for graduation would be entitled to take its entrance exam. The pro-Pyongyang Korean schools meet this criteria.