The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that allowing only female students to enroll at law schools run by women-only universities is constitutional.

In 2008, the government approved a total of 25 local universities, including Ewha Womans University in Seoul, to create U.S.-style three-year law schools. Ewha Womans University Law School has since annually admitted 100 female students.

Soon after that decision, two male law-student hopefuls filed a petition with the court, arguing that the female-only admission policy had infringed upon equality rights and other constitutional rights of male students.

The court on Thursday dismissed the petition in a unanimous decision and ruled that the policy does not violate basic rights.

“There needs to be a respect for the autonomy of private schools such as admitting students and an admission policy,” the court said in its ruling.

The court added that the rights of men to equal education were not being violated as male students have the right to attend 24 other law schools.

There are several women-only universities in South Korea, but Ewha is the only one authorized to have a law school. (Yonhap News)