Can education ministry stop Dongduk Women's Univ.'s shift to coeducation?

School jackets are placed across the campus at Dongduk Women’s University in northeastern Seoul as a symbolic protest against the plan to shift to co-education, Nov. 20, 2024. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

After Dongduk Women’s University confirmed plans to become a coeducational institution in 2029, students at several women’s universities began an online petition campaign urging the Ministry of Education to halt the transition.

The backlash at Dongduk underscores a widening generational debate in Korea over the role of single-sex education. As the government urges universities to respond to demographic changes and shrinking enrollment, many students argue that women’s institutions remain vital spaces for cultivating female leadership and that they should not abandon their historical and social missions for financial reasons.

Although students argue that the transition could still be stopped without formal approval from education authorities, the ministry appears to have limited authority over whether the change ultimately proceeds.

The announcement comes about a year after students occupied and spray painted buildings on campus as part of protests to oppose the move.

The education ministry noted that a separate government approval is not required for women’s universities to shift to coed.

With no specific legislation outlining a procedure for transitioning to a coed institution, such changes are determined through internal deliberations, including consultations with university members and approval by the school's board.

Under the Private School Act, amendments to a school's foundation articles require approval of at least two-thirds of its board members, after which the decision needs to be reported to the education minister within 14 days.

The education ministry maintains that becoming a coed university is not among the institutional changes that require government authorization.

Once Dongduk Women’s University completes its internal deliberations and secures approval from bodies such as the academic affairs committee and the university council, there is virtually no mechanism for the ministry to halt the transition.

However, removing “Women’s” from the university’s official name still requires government approval. Any change must be reviewed by the ministry’s University Establishment and Reorganization Review Committee and approved by the education minister.

The Higher Education Act states that school founders or operators must obtain authorization from the education minister when abolishing a school or changing “important matters.” These include the institution’s founding purpose, official name, location and plans to establish affiliated schools.

If Dongduk moves to amend its official name, the committee is expected to raise no objection to removing the word “Women’s.”

Committee members may take student opposition into account, but an official at the education ministry pointed out that the "autonomy of private universities also needs to be respected."

Students hold a press conference at Dongduk Women’s University in northeastern Seoul, condemning the university’s push to adopt a coed model, Nov. 12, 2024. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin

Meanwhile, students at women’s universities nationwide are urging peers online to file complaints with the education ministry opposing Dongduk’s shift. Many are submitting petitions through the government’s online grievance system.

Since Thursday, posts calling for a coordinated campaign have appeared not only on the online community portal for Dongduk Women’s University but also at other institutions such as Ewha Womans University and Seoul Women’s University.

“Women’s universities provide a space where women can grow free from social role expectations,” said Yoo Ji-soo, a law graduate student at Ewha Womans University. “Strong gender norms still remain in Korean society, and the voices of students opposing going coed should not be silenced.”

Although Dongduk Women’s University says the plan was reviewed by its deliberation committee, students argue the decision failed to adequately reflect their opinions.