Yongin Foreign Language High School Student Council President Who Led Political Statement Against Martial Law Accepted to Harvard

Led Political Statement Opposing Martial Law
"Wants to Address Multicultural and Low Birthrate Issues"

On December 20, Yonhap News reported that the student council president of Yongin Foreign Language High School, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has been accepted to Harvard University. This student led a political statement last year opposing the martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Yongin Foreign Language High School Political Statement. Screenshot from the Yongin Foreign Language High School Student Council SNS.

According to the school, on December 20, Junho Hwang received an acceptance notification from Harvard University through the Early Decision process for the 2026 academic year. In December of last year, Hwang drafted and announced a political statement opposing the declaration of martial law, gathering signatures from 577 students at the school.

At the time of participating in the political statement, Hwang stated, "I felt that students, like the seniors who changed history, should take action to defend democracy." When asked about his thoughts on being admitted to Harvard, he replied, "Based on the experience and knowledge I have gained abroad, I hope to contribute to solving Korea's multicultural and low birthrate issues, and ultimately to the advancement of humanity."

Park Inho, vice principal of Yongin Foreign Language High School, commented, "Hwang is the only student to be accepted to Harvard University through the Early Decision process. This achievement is especially significant given the intensified U.S. anti-immigration policies and the increasingly competitive admissions environment."

Previously, Hwang and the student council defined the martial law declared by former President Yoon as "an illegal measure that violated the Constitution and the law" in their political statement. They emphasized, "Just as students have played a central role in Korea's history of democratization, current students must also raise their voices to defend democracy." The student council surveyed the entire student body of about 1,000 students to gauge interest in participating, and then gathered those who agreed to announce the statement.