The country's human rights watchdog has determined the current law limiting academy positions for foreigners to graduates of four-year universities as discriminatory.

The National Human Rights Commission said on Tuesday that it had advised the education minister last July to revise a law prohibiting the employment of foreigners with two-year degrees, assessing that the policy in question treats non-Koreans in a discriminatory manner.

Under the ordinance, Koreans can teach at private educational institutes with a two-year college degree, but a four-year university diploma is required of foreign nationals for the same job.

The commission said the discriminatory rule is based on the premise that the level of curricula differs between universities at home and abroad, but the ministry failed to prove this to be the case.

It also said a foreign applicant's Korean proficiency, work experience and major in school are more important determinants in their teaching ability than their academic degree.

In response, the ministry said the differing standard was to prevent unqualified applicants and to ensure quality education.

The watchdog said the ministry has yet to accept its recommendation and urged more active efforts to reduce nationality-based employment discrimination.