College Student Councils Changing Once Again
Jin Hyun-joo
Jin Hyun-joo. 2005. “College Student Councils Changing Once Again.” The Korea Herald, February 17, 2005.
tudent councils comprising non-activists swept 70 percent of seats at universities nationwide in the past two years, reflecting disenchantment with political slogans and protests, according to the online university newspaper Unews.
But the trend seemed to stall in elections held last December and this sudden dominance was cut in half as students apparently started looking for action to deal with issues that affect their everyday life.
Jeong Hwa, the first chairwoman of the Seoul National University’s student council, said that regardless of whether a person is activist or not, students are now following leaders who can resolve their problems.
“The student movement is nothing special. It is to solve problems that students are faced with in their daily lives,” said Jeong.
“I think the student movement needs a ‘third way.’ It is meaningless to bisect along the lines of activist or non-activist,” she said.
In the last election, Jeong, from a moderate activist party prevailed over opposition from a non-activist that had been dominant at the nation’s top university for the last three years.
SNUnow, the university’s online newspaper, said the non-political group’s fall was attributable to its lack of a “basic policy” on student welfare.
“Whether it is non-activist or whatever, an important thing is its capability (to support welfare of students),” the newspaper said.
Sociology professor Seol Dong-Hoon at Chonbuk National University said, “Nowadays university students are realistic. Their primary interests are to solve personal problems rather than ideological issues.”
He said that the nation’s shift to a democratic society had resulted in students turning more to personal issues than politics.
“Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the lack of democracy led students to feel some kind of historical obligation. I and my colleagues used to shout ‘hurrah for democracy’ around the end of a drinking party and were deeply stirred,” said Seol, who studied at Seoul National University in the 1980s.
“But now students consider it (democracy) natural, like water or air. They have been set free,” he added.
Yoo Sang-yong, chairman of Chonbuk National University’s student council, echoed the change of students’ interests since 1986. He withdrew from school while studying medicine in 1986 to join his father’s business, re-enrolled in 2002, and was elected council chief for this year.
“At that time (in 1986) there were many political and social issues going on. Now the focus is consistently school issues,” Yoo said.
“A big issue now relates to a library, such as preventing noise on the floor and replacing desks and chairs. Other issues include having a concert and discounting parking fees on campus,” he said.
Even Hanchongryun, an extreme-right student association, has turned its attention from political to campus issues.
For instance, a student council at Chonnam National University that belongs to Hanchongryun is pursuing various ways to benefit students, such as pushing ahead an internship program in collaboration with companies.
“In the past, we lacked the ability to communicate with students,” said Shim, a 27-year-old executive member of the council. “But now we’re trying to meet students’ demands and interests on life and study.”
Referring to the non-political party, Shim said he is willing to accept its positive side such as its focus on utilitarian issues. “We will further develop brilliant ideas of the past non-political council such as running a used bookstore,” he said.
Other universities are no exception in getting student councils to be more responsive to diverse opinions.
In its 2003 election, Hanyang University, once a leader in student movements to whom capitalism was anathema, chose the grandson of Koo Tai-hwoi, one of the founders of the LG Group and honorary president of LG Cable Ltd. And, the former president Lee Sang-hyun called for student welfare and exchanges with foreign universities.
The new student council at Yonsei University also made an election promise of no political strife, especially events or demonstrations in front of the main library. The chairman Yoon Han-wool did not make any campaign speeches close to the library in order not to disturb students at the place.
Despite the efforts by the council to woo students, many show no interest at all in student associations.
The average voting rate among students has hovered around 50 percent for several years, and many councils have had to work hard to muster a vote quorum.
“I once voted for a department council chief, but I was forced to do it by my friends,” said Cho Chi-hyun, a university student who studies both at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Denver University in the United States.
Students interviewed by The Korea Herald said they do not care for student associations.
“I’m not interested in the association because I’m busy with studying,” said Baek Jae-hwan, an economics student at Korea University. “I feel grateful what they do for students, but if they don’t, it doesn’t matter to me,” he added.
Another student, Choi Joon-woo, who majors in business, said, “I have been indifferent to the group. It does not have to do with me, I’m happy with the benifits provided by the school.”
Professor Seol said a change from a department to divisional association system in the late 1990s accelerated the individual attitude of students.
“The relationship between a senior and a junior was formed under the department system, but now they do not know each other even in the same department,” he said. By Jin Hyun-joo. hjjin@heraldm.com.
