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Prior opinions & explanations

How to Respond to a School Discipline Committee — Suspension of Attendance and Preparing a Written Opinion

A school discipline committee (student guidance committee, seondo wiwonhoe) is an in-school disciplinary procedure that deals with violations of school rules such as smoking, drinking, truancy and cheating. Unlike the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee, which handles cases with a victim student, it covers rule violations with no victim. A suspension of attendance is treated as unexcused absence for that period and stays on the school record, so the written opinion submitted before the meeting affects the level of discipline.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-09-26

Procedure

  1. 1. Check the notice and the schedule

    Check the reason, the date and time of the meeting, and the method of submitting an opinion stated in the notice to attend received from the school. Discipline by the school principal is based on Article 18 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the student and the guardian are given an opportunity to state their opinions.

  2. 2. Organize the facts

    Set out the date, place and circumstances of the conduct at issue in chronological order, and if any part differs from what the school has found, write it down together with supporting materials. Focus on verifiable facts rather than exaggeration or excuses.

  3. 3. Prepare the written opinion

    Include the facts, the student's usual conduct, attendance and academic situation, and concrete measures to prevent recurrence. To be persuasive, it must go beyond a letter of apology and state practicable items such as a guidance plan at home and participation in counseling.

  4. 4. Attend the meeting and check the result

    Attend the meeting and make your statement based mainly on the written opinion. When you receive the disciplinary result, check whether it will be entered in the school record and the deadline for challenging it. Expulsion has a separate review procedure, and for other discipline the routes for a challenge, such as an administrative appeal, are reviewed case by case.

Required documents

  • The school's notice to attend the school discipline committee
  • Written opinion of the student and guardian
  • Materials proving the facts (messages, medical records, attendance records, etc., where applicable)
  • Materials on usual conduct (awards, volunteer activities, homeroom teacher counseling records, etc.)
  • Materials on the recurrence prevention plan (record of counseling applications, etc.)

Fees

There is no government fee. Fees for preparing a written opinion are generally around several hundred thousand won in the industry and vary if the facts are complex or documents for a challenge are also needed. We will advise you after a consultation based on the notice and the circumstances.

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Legal basis and review date

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Article 18
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Article 18-2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Article 31
  • Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against Violence in Schools, Article 12

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • The written opinion must be submitted before the meeting date to be taken into account. Start preparing as soon as you receive the notice.
  • The deadline for a challenge runs from the day the disciplinary result is received.

Frequently asked questions

How does a school discipline committee differ from the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee?
A school discipline committee is an in-school procedure that deals with rule violations with no victim, such as smoking, truancy and cheating. The School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee deliberates on school violence cases with a victim student at the district office of education.
Does a suspension of attendance stay on the school record?
The suspension period is treated as unexcused absence and stays on the school record. It can affect admission to the next level of school, so it is important to lower the level of discipline through a written opinion before the meeting.
What should be written in an opinion for a school discipline committee?
Include an account of the facts, the student's usual conduct, and concrete measures to prevent recurrence. Writing verifiable facts and an action plan objectively is more effective than an emotional appeal.
Can discipline by a school discipline committee be challenged?
A disposition of expulsion has a separate procedure for requesting a review, and for other discipline the routes for a challenge, such as an administrative appeal, are checked case by case. The deadline runs from the day the result is received, so it is better to check right away.
Can a guardian attend the school discipline committee together with the student?
The student and the guardian are given an opportunity to state their opinions. If attendance is difficult, check with the school in advance whether a written opinion can be submitted instead.

Other guides in this area

Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.