SNU students occupy main building

By Park Si-soo

Hundreds of Seoul National University (SNU) students occupied the school’s administrative building for a second day Tuesday, demanding the withdrawal of a government-led plan to incorporate the prestigious school.

About 500 students broke into the building late Monday night through windows and sealed off its entrances. SNU President Oh Yeon-cheon was out of his office at the time of the infiltration that started 11:10 p.m.

More than 150 students stayed overnight inside the building and were staging a sit-in protest throughout Tuesday, paralyzing the school administration, according to school officials.

The exterior of the building’s first floor was covered with banners and leaflets containing messages that denounced the plan.

“We will fight until the plan is dropped as it will result in the collapse of unprofitable studies, tuition hikes and the deterioration of student welfare,” the students said in a statement.

A group of SNU professors also issued a statement supporting their call for the cancellation of the incorporation plan.

This is the second occupation of the building by students opposing the plan, following one that took place in April. The first occupation detained President Oh and other professors in an office for hours and ended with the President’s promise that he will seek “mutually acceptable” solutions through dialogue.

Absence of agreement?

The government has taken steps to liberalize the state-run university from 65 years of state control since the National Assembly endorsed a bill designed to remove state intervention in the school management in December last year. It has said it will continue to provide financial support to the school even after the incorporation.

The transition is set to be completed by March next year and under the new system school authorities will determine everything from salary of professors to tuition.

Some SNU professors held a press conference near the main gate of the building, calling for the immediate abolishment of the plan and President Oh’s apology to school members.

“The move to corporatize the university has been pushed without agreement among concerned parties, meaning it cannot be justifiable,” they said in a statement. “We strongly support the occupation and will continue to fight the move.”

The late night occupation came hours after a majority of 1,900 students voted against the plan in an emergency poll over the issue — 1,715 supported the disbandment of a special committee organized to push the transition forward.

Proponents of the plan say it will help raise SNU’s efficacy in operation and global competitiveness. They claim the school’s bureaucratic structure has harmed its global recognition.

SNU has also struggled to hire academically accomplished foreign professors due to the payment policy equally applied to all faculty members regardless of their performance.

Under the new system, the school will be run by a board of directors that elects the president and includes people from outside the school. Professors and staffers will no longer be paid like civil servants, and will instead be paid under a separate annual salary system that includes performance-based pay.

All state and public properties, such as the school’s buildings and land, will be handed over for free while government funding will continue at similar levels. The university will also have the freedom to conduct commercial projects.