By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Yonsei University is facing a slew of complaints from students and alumni after it selected the leader of an extremely conservative group to receive an honor for distinguished alumni.
The private university's alumni council chose earlier this month Suh Jeong-gap, leader of the National Action Campaign for Freedom and Democracy (NACFD), to receive the honor, along with Kim Mo-im, a former health and welfare minister, and Kim Dong-gun, president of the Korean Announcers Club.
The selection of Suh has drawn the ire of a number of students and alumni.
When former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide last May, conservative groups led by Suh destroyed a memorial altar for the late former President at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul.
After the incident, Suh said the group had done nothing wrong as they had simply removed an "illegal facility" from a public site, claiming that police, who did not remove it, had neglected their duty.
"I am very embarrassed and humiliated after hearing Suh was selected as a 'distinguished man' of our school," said Lee Ho-yeon, the leader of Yonsei's student council.
"After talking with student leaders of every department, we will ask the alumni council to disclose Monday the exact process that lead to the selection of Suh as a distinguished alumnus of our school," he added.
In response, the school's alumni council said Suh has contributed to Korea through his campaigns to locate the records of those who died in the Korean War and that it sees nothing wrong in the nomination.
"Alumni of each department recommend candidates for the prize and the prize council decides the winners. However, it is impossible to reflect the views of all of our alumni in the selection process," said Kim Jeong-hyun, director of the council.
An advertisement created by Yonsei students and alumni that ran in a vernacular daily Thursday said, "We apologize to the people. Suh Jeong-gap forcibly destroyed a memorial altar for the deceased President Roh Moo-hyun established by civic groups and took the portrait of Roh. We are ashamed that Suh is a graduate of Yonsei."
Former leaders of the Yonsei student council, who served in the 1980s, also issued a statement opposing the selection of Suh for the honor. "It is a dishonor for those affiliated with Yonsei who value freedom and human rights," they said in a statement.
Suh graduated from the university with a degree in public administration, and reached the rank of colonel in the military. He established the conservative group and opposed the "Sunshine Policy" on North Korea of the Kim Dae-jung administration.