 |
| Novelist Goh Gwang-ryul satirizes the dysfunctional side of Korean universities in his recently released fiction novel "Si-il-ya-bang-sung-dae-hak" (Deploring the Grim Reality of University). / Courtesy of Goh Gwang-ryul |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
An Ivory Tower locked in deadly infighting with loss of academic curiosity.
Novelist Goh Gwang-ryul satirizes the dysfunctional side of Korean universities in his recently released fiction novel "Si-il-ya-bang-sung-dae-hak" (Deploring the Grim Reality of University).
His book appears to be a manifesto in the guise of a fiction novel. It demands university authorities, professors and other members go back to the basics and do what they are supposed to do ― provide education.
"I felt uncomfortable after the book was released," the author said in a phone interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday.
"I thought that someone should address the dark reality Korean universities face. I happened to be the one because there were no others who were willing to speak out about it. So I have no regrets. But it's true that I don't feel comfortable."
"Si-il-ya-bang-sung-dae-hak" tells the raw, behind-the-scenes story of universities. It revolves around Mo, president of a provincial university, whose leadership is in peril. The university is in crisis as it has been ordered again by the Ministry of Education to take a set of compulsory reformative measures. If not properly implemented, the university may be ordered to close. Time is not on Mo's side, either. Students are set to hold rallies against him in protest against a measure he pushed for to ease rules on transfers to medical school.
Goh, 59, said the fictional university and its maneuvers to survive are a simplified version of the tougher reality most Korean universities are faced with. "I talked about a small private university grappling with various challenges. I think the challenges will be much more complicated and troubling for public or national universities," he said.
The author noted the crisis was inevitable right from the start, blaming deregulation that stemmed from the 1990s, which have since created a slew of problems. At that time, he said then the Kim Young-sam government introduced liberalization measures to ease accreditation on colleges and universities to encourage people to establish more universities. "The rationale behind deregulation was competition. If several colleges and universities compete, they would become more competitive. Unfortunately, what we are now seeing is that the policy is backfiring in an era of ageing population."
Goh said his friends are worried about the satirical book as it could pit him against universities.
"The other day, I got a phone call from a friend of mine. He called me after reading a review of my book in a newspaper. He jokingly asked if my new book won't cut my career short," said the author.
"I am a novelist and I created a story based on fictional figures at a fictional university. I have no intention to hurt anyone and I didn't try to accuse a certain university or its professors."
 |
| "Si-il-ya-bang-sung-dae-hak" (Deploring the Grim Reality of University) by Goh Gwang-ryul |
Goh is a veteran university staff member but he asked that the university he works at not be named.
As an insider, he said he felt the need to address a host of problems Korean universities are dealing with, in order to urge them to reform and be reborn as institutes of education.
"I may have not felt the pressure if I released this book after retirement. But I didn't want to be opportunistic, so I chose to do it right away," he said.
Goh said he was inspired to work on a book about the reality of Korean universities five years ago. "People are talking a lot about universities in crisis. The reasons vary. College exams and the way universities select students are changing every year. Parents and students are confused. From the viewpoint of university authorities, Korea's falling birthrates are the source of concern because every year the number of high school graduates is decreasing. University authorities are concerned about a decrease of test takers," he said.
Goh said the reason why he believes Korean universities are in crisis came against a very different backdrop and the source of his concern comes from what's inside the university.
"Declining population is not something that either I or professors can fix," he said. "I don't think Korean universities are facing that kind of crisis. I think Korean universities are in crisis because they lost their sense of direction and failed to maintain their roles as institutes designed to facilitate research, instil students with knowledge and provide a service for the community. These three core missions are lost in Ivory Towers."
Using an old Chinese saying "gyeon-wol-mang-jee," he figuratively said he pointed to the moon to encourage people to look at it but some tried to find fault with him by focusing on the fingertip that pointed to the object.
"I won't rule out the possibility that I may end up being quoted out of context. If this happens, there's nothing that I can do. After the publication of the book people have the freedom to interpret what they read," he said.
He debuted as a novelist in 1987 with the publication of his short novel "The End of Darkness" in the Hoseo Literature magazine. Goh is the author of several short and long fiction novels. In 2012, he won the Hoseo Literature Award for "The Aged Horn."
