Dormitory controversy exposes campus tensions over foreign student prioritization

Jeonbuk National University / Courtesy of Jeonbuk National University

Days after Jeonbuk National University scrapped a plan to convert its largest dormitory into a building reserved for international students, tensions have subsided. But the proposal has sparked protests by Korean students and raised concerns that similar conflicts could emerge at other campuses.

Earlier this month, the school announced that its 1,812-bed dormitory, which accounts for more than 37 percent of total housing capacity, would be reserved exclusively for international students starting in the spring semester. According to the student council, the move would have forced thousands of Korean students to compete for barely two-thirds of the remaining on-campus accommodation, with no gradual phase-in and little prior consultation.

Strong backlash ensued.

Student leaders accused the university of “infringing on the housing rights of local students” as it moves to improve living conditions for international students. This eventually forced the administration to backtrack on the plan.

The school’s decision came against the backdrop of shrinking enrollment and new policy incentives. As a designated “Glocal University 30” campus, it stands to receive up to 100 billion won ($70 million) over five years from the government if it can attract more international students. A key part of that performance is how well the university can provide stable living conditions for them.

For the university's administration, reserving the Cham‑bit Hall dorms for international students was a way to guarantee beds, meet government requirements and strengthen its Glocal bid.

But many Korean students found it unfair.

“We knew the Glocal project would bring in a lot more international students, but we had no idea the school would change dorms currently used by Korean students just to fit more of them in,” a student council official told The Korea Times. “Students had just a few days’ notice. Many were scrambling to find off‑campus rooms, worrying about whether they could afford to move, and some were suddenly facing the possibility of taking a leave of absence if they couldn’t."

As sit‑ins formed and national media picked up the story, the administration apologized, scrapped the “international students first” plan, and pledged to keep Cham‑bit Hall open to all students. Officials promised to maintain dorm slots for local students at last year’s level by converting existing two‑person rooms into three- or four-person units and using other facilities, including a former guesthouse set to become a 200‑bed residence.

A new 850‑bed accommodation is under construction but will not be ready until next year, so for now the university has little choice but to squeeze more students into existing buildings. At the same time, it is starting this year with around 3,500 international students and plans to expand that number to 5,000 by 2028, raising fears among undergraduates that each new wave of arrivals will spark another round of housing battles.

The conflict over dorm facilities has resonated because it taps into a broader unease across Korean higher education. As the domestic student population shrinks, universities are trying to attract more foreign students. At Cheongju University and other institutions, students have openly complained about what they describe as policies that “prioritize” foreign students.

Lee Byoung‑hoon, a sociology professor at Chung‑Ang University, sees the Jeonbuk case as a warning sign. Universities, he says, are turning to foreign students as a “quick financial fix” and reshaping dorms and welfare facilities in ways that feel like “reverse discrimination” to some Koreans on campus. Without slow, transparent talks with students, he warns, similar clashes are likely to keep surfacing as enrollments fall.