Students Favor Practical over Political in Elections
Sohn He-yong
Sohn He-yong. 2004. “Students Favor Practical over Political in Elections.” JoongAng Daily, December 9, 2004.
ecember 9, 2004 — Student elections at South Korean colleges are increasingly focused more on real-life issues such as gaining employment rather than politics, experts say.
Elections formerly dominated by politics now have candidates addressing everyday life problems. Experts point out that college student presidential elections do not center solely on political activity.
“Students are now more focused on problems in real life,” said Seol Dong-Hoon, a professor of sociology at Chonbuk National University. “They care about their grades.”
“They need a job or want to prepare for national exams. They are not interested in candidates who may have great political ability but instead favor candidates that listen to the students’ real problems. Student governing bodies are no longer dominated by political student groups,” he said.
Hong Sang-wook, student president of Seoul National University, said that even politically minded students are now changing their campaign styles.
“Even those candidates who are considered to be centered on politics for the most part now discuss jobs and education,” Mr. Hong said. “You can hardly find those candidates chanting political slogans.”
As election campaigns at college campuses take on a different character as students’ needs vary, so have the results.
In recent student presidential elections at Soongsil University and KangWon National University, female students were elected for the first time in school history, a departure from male-dominated elections. by Sohn He-yong <africanu@joongang.co.kr>
