When a 10th grader comes home with an 'I' (incomplete/not-earned) mark on a specific course, parents' first worry is usually whether this means their child is being held back a grade. In practice, it isn't grade retention — there's a separate remediation process, and starting in the 2026 school year, the underlying standard itself was eased in students' favor. If your child is navigating Korea's high school credit system (goja-hakjeomje) right now, the first thing to check is that the familiar "two-thirds attendance, 40% achievement" rule changed this year.

What changed for 2026 — elective courses no longer look at achievement scores

Under the previous credit-completion standard, every course required meeting two conditions at once: at least two-thirds attendance, and at least a 40% achievement score. Starting in the 2026 school year, that standard was eased for elective courses specifically — the achievement-score requirement was dropped, leaving only the attendance requirement. In practice, that means a student in an elective course won't be marked "not earned" for a low test score as long as they meet the attendance bar. This relaxation is limited to elective courses, though — common/core courses like Korean, math, and English still follow the original two-part standard.

"Not yet met" and "not earned" are two different things

Two terms in school notices commonly get confused. "Not yet met" (midolal) describes the first-stage status where a student hasn't met the completion standard (attendance or achievement). "Not earned" (miisu) is the status confirmed only after a student also fails to complete the school's "minimum achievement level guidance" (supplementary instruction) offered at the "not yet met" stage. In other words, an 'I' mark doesn't appear on a report card the moment a student bombs a test — it's only assigned after the student has had, and not used successfully, a school-provided chance to catch up. Parents who don't know about this intermediate stage tend to misread a single 'I' mark as an immediate crisis.

Once "not earned" is confirmed — a makeup-credit program fills the gap

A course confirmed as "not earned" isn't retaken as a full re-enrollment — it's addressed through a "makeup-credit" (bochung-isu) program. A student applies through the school, completes supplementary study (often using online content during after-school hours), and earns the credit once the completion standard is met again. The Ministry of Education is separately reviewing whether to introduce a formal course retake system, but as of the current school year, makeup-credit is the primary remediation path in place. If a student still can't complete the makeup-credit process, the remaining option is to complete a different course from the same or a similar subject group to make up the shortfall in total credits.

Graduation requires 192 credits — the number that matters

Under the credit system, graduating requires accumulating at least 192 credits over three years. A single "not earned" course doesn't make graduation impossible — makeup-credit, retaking, or completing a different course in a similar subject group can all bring the total back up to 192 or above. That said, when multiple courses go unearned, the course load a student has to clear by the second semester of senior year grows heavier, so it's worth taking an 'I' mark seriously starting in the first year rather than brushing it off.

What to look for on the report card, and what parents should check

If an 'I' mark shows up on a school record or grade report for a specific course, the first step is asking the homeroom or subject teacher whether it's a "not yet met" status or a confirmed "not earned" status. At the "not yet met" stage, there's often still a window to receive minimum achievement level guidance (supplementary instruction), and addressing it at that stage resolves most cases before they become "not earned." Since the timing and format of that guidance (after-school sessions, online content, intensive supplementary classes) vary by school, it helps to check the school's own academic management implementation guidelines alongside the teacher conversation.

Core courses and elective courses need different attention

As of the 2026 school year, core courses like Korean, math, and English still require meeting both attendance and achievement standards. Elective courses — like career-track electives or integrated electives — now only need attendance, regardless of achievement score. So if your child is struggling in an elective course, managing absences and tardiness now matters more than the grade itself; if it's a core course, checking in on eligibility for minimum achievement level guidance still matters as much as before. Worrying about every course under the same old standard, without knowing this split, is how the actual point of leverage gets missed.

Steps to follow

① If an 'I' mark appears on a report card, ask the homeroom teacher first whether it's "not yet met" or confirmed "not earned." ② Check whether the course is a core/common course or an elective — electives have only needed attendance since the 2026 school year. ③ At the "not yet met" stage, confirm whether the school's minimum achievement level guidance (supplementary instruction) is available and when. ④ Once "not earned" is confirmed, ask the school about the makeup-credit application process and the after-school online content schedule. ⑤ Track how many credits remain to reach the 192-credit, three-year total for the remaining semesters. For more context, see the original completion standard behind the 'I' mark, what actually changed in classrooms in March 2026, and how course selection reshapes the report card under the credit system.