“I would rather die than open the door,'' say students at a South Korean university. Until now, the university had only admitted women, but due to financial problems caused by the population crisis, there was an idea to admit men as well. A sit-in strike has been going on at the university for more than two weeks.
Seoul's Dongdok University was founded to support women in a deeply patriarchal society, but the population crisis is putting pressure on it, The Guardian reported. A sit-in has been ongoing at this traditional women's university since November 11th. Female students were furious at plans to admit men to some academic fields.
One member of the Todoku Student Association said, “We have no choice but to speak out against the university's unilateral decision, which was made without any input from the students who study and live here.''
South Korea: Protest against male admission to university
University authorities claim that opening co-educational courses was one of the proposals considered. The government agreed to halt discussions on the issue, but shortly after, President Kim Myung-Ae called the protests “illegal” and a “violation of the right to education” and warned of “firm action.”
The dispute sparked a backlash from politicians. Lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party have criticized the protests, calling demonstrators “uncivilized” and saying “inciters of violence” should be held accountable. One official even said, “We will never accept our daughter-in-law from this facility.''
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Opposition politicians responded by accusing conservatives of using the protests as a distraction. In a recent interview with local media, Dongduk Student Council President Choi Hyun-ah said, “Those who portray this as a conflict between men and women are using students to justify their opinions.'' “I'm just doing it,” he said.
The university's decision to allow men to enroll is said to be due to demographic changes in South Korea. Student numbers have fallen by 18% over the past decade, and low birth rates have forced some institutions to close departments or entire universities.
An all-female university in South Korea. “They don't feel safe.”
In South Korea, women-only universities were established in the early 20th century and have long been one of the few options for women to pursue higher education. Today, these systems are recognized as institutions that support talented citizens in a country that remains male-dominated. In South Korea, women make up only 20 percent of the population. It has only 7.3% of seats in parliament. Management staff for 500 of Japan's largest companies.
Yoon-kyung Na, a professor of cultural anthropology at Yonsei University, said, “This protest reflects that young women in South Korea do not feel safe in public spaces.'' – Although providing a safe space is not the primary purpose of women's colleges, female students are protesting to maintain what they consider a safe learning environment. Na explains that this reveals a broader problem in Korean society.
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