By Lee Kyung-min
A nighttime curfew on using the Internet at some college dormitories is causing disputes.
Universities claim the shutdown is needed because some students complain that their sleep is disturbed by roommates who stay up all night using computers, especially for games.
But many students claim that the curfew infringes on the rights of those who need access to the Internet at night.
Yonsei University Wonju Campus in Gangwon Province bans Internet access from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., while the Catholic University of Daegu and Mokpo National Maritime University do so from 1 a.m to 6 a.m.
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) bans access to online game websites from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.
A student from Yonsei University Wonju Campus said he had to pay 150,000 won in phone bills after he was forced to use the Internet via his cell phone.
“I had some reports that required a lot of online research,” said the student, who asked not to be named. “I had to work through late into the night to get it done, because I didn’t have time in the daytime.
“I was so frustrated that I had to pay out of my pocket because of the nighttime curfew.”
Another student who refused to name her school said she once was unable to take an online lecture because of the ban.
“I planned to take the course online and study some more for next day’s class in the late night because I can better concentrate at night. But I could not,” she said.
Many students claim on their school bulletin boards that the schools treat them like children.
However, university officials say the curfew must be in place to guarantee good sleep for students in dormitories because some students failed to control themselves.
“There have been constant complaints from dormitory students that roommates’ noise from typing and the light from computer monitors interfere with their sleep,” said a Yonsei University official. “It is a measure to prevent students from causing damage to others.”
Playing online games was the main reason for the ban, the official added.
“Some students complain that their roommates absorbed in online games shout and push the keyboard violently all night.”