Inha University students rise up against Cho family
Inha university students, faculty and alumni association protest against Hanjin Group owners. / Courtesy of Incheon Network for Peace and Welfare
By Kim Hyun-bin
Inha University students and faculty are protesting against Hanjin Group owners, calling for their resignation from the school's board.
Inha's students along with its alumni association have joined hands with local civic groups to stand against Hanjin Chairman Cho Yang-ho and his family.
To this end, Incheon Network for Peace and Welfare and Inha University in Incheon have established a countermeasure committee.
“Hanjin Group's unethical management and the family's abuse of power are not only found at Korean Air but also at Inha University,” said the committee in a press statement.
“We will fight against Hanjin Group's influence over the university's management and rule out corruption at our institution.”
This comes as the Cho family has allegedly exerted its influence within the university's management. The chairman and his eldest son and daughter have tried to control the university's board, select its president and have interfered in its management, the committee said.
In 1998, the chairman's eldest son Cho Won-tae, currently Korean Air President, allegedly transferred to Inha University without satisfying the institution's transfer requirements.
The committee plans to submit an official request to the Ministry of Education to look into this case.
The university denied these allegations.
“The university has abided by the education ministry's regulations. We have appointed our university presidents through legitimate procedures,” said Inha University in a statement.
“Korean Air President Cho Won-tae also went through regular procedures and passed the transfer exam. We went through a thorough review of his transcript and gave transfer credits accordingly. Therefore, the committee's claim is simply not true.”
Last week, Korean Air employees held a candlelit rally. They plan to hold a second rally soon. The second rally is expected to be larger as civic groups and Inha university members are also expected to participate.
SNU student protest
Meanwhile, more than 600 students from Seoul National University held a candlelit rally, demanding it fire a social science professor following his misconduct.
The students gathered at the university's administration building and called on its disciplinary committee to stop covering up the professor's indecent acts and urged it to immediately fire him.
Shin Jae-yong, the university's student body president, vowed to continue his hunger strike until the professor is fired.
The professor used abusive language toward his students and co-workers, calling them “trash” and saying, “People like you should be beaten up.”
He has also been accused of sexual harassment and making students clean his fridge.
He allegedly funneled 15 million won ($13,900) of the social science department's research funds to himself over the past three years.
Last March, his alleged immoral acts were submitted to the campus human rights center.
But the university sentenced him to just three months suspension, which created an uproar on campus.
The Ministry of Education conducted a separate inspection on the matter and found the professor guilty of abuse of authority and embezzlement.
The ministry reported the case to prosecutors.
The student body said the three month suspension did not fit the results of the inspection by the education ministry.
The student body added that it will not recognize the three month suspension as an official punishment.
“If the professor is not fired, sexual assault issues will continue,” said Shin.
“We will fight until the university guarantees our basic human rights.”