Violence and Class Disruption Cross the Line... Dongduk Women's University "Will Strictly Handle Illegal Acts"

"Serious Damage Caused by Students' Illegal Activities"
"Individuals Must Take Responsibility for Group Actions"
Providing Damage Report Form Instructions

Students opposing the discussion to transition Dongduk Women's University to a coeducational system blocked the door and stood inside the main building of Dongduk Women's University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News

As students strongly oppose the issue of Dongduk Women's University transitioning to a coeducational system, the school has conveyed its stance to respond firmly.

On the 18th, Dongduk Women's University posted a "Request Letter" on the notice board of its website, stating, "Due to illegal occupation and protests by students, all buildings on campus have been locked down, causing severe damage such as property destruction, disruption of classes, and paralysis of administrative work." It continued, "Opposing the transition to coeducation or refusing to attend classes may be an individual's freedom," but emphasized, "Acts of violence and disruption of classes are clearly illegal." Furthermore, it added, "We intend to deal strictly with these illegal acts on multiple levels," and "Responsibility for illegal acts carried out through collective actions must be borne individually."

Additionally, the school posted another notice summarizing the communication status with students, including the student council, by time. This appears to be a rebuttal to Student Council President Choi Hyun-ah's claim on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "the school consistently ignored multiple requests for dialogue or failed to provide proper answers." Moreover, Dongduk Women's University posted a notice titled "Guidance for Reporting Damage Cases Among Dongduk Members," stating, "We will accurately assess the damage related to the campus situation," and provided a damage report form. The school instructed professors, staff, and students to specify the exact time, place, and details of damages related to ▲property destruction ▲class disruption ▲online and offline violence ▲defamation, and to submit evidence along with the report.

Earlier, on the 7th, news that the Dongduk Women's University Academic Committee was discussing the transition to coeducation sparked student dissatisfaction, especially online. The next day, the student council 'Naran' issued a statement appealing, "We demand the withdrawal of the reckless transition to coeducation and hope that such an absurd matter will never be raised again." In response, Kim Myung-ae, president of Dongduk Women's University, released a statement saying, "At the University Vision Innovation Promotion Team meeting, development plans for the College of Design and the College of Performing Arts, which were discussed by professors from each college, were announced," and added, "The transition to coeducation cannot be unilaterally pursued by the school; gathering opinions and communication with members are essential procedures. As an institution of higher learning where dialogue and debate should be fostered as intellectuals, we deeply regret that such violent incidents are occurring."