University of Dongduk discontinues criminal prosecution of students due to last year's demonstration
Revised Base Article:
The entrance to Dongduk Women's University's Centennial Memorial Hall, nestled in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, is adorned with protest signs and splashes of paint protests against the university's potential transformation into a coeducational institution by December 2024. The unrest is palpable.
The university's intent to explore coeducation has ignited a storm of controversy, with students vehemently opposing the proposal. They argue that the change undermines the institution's founding purpose of empowering women. Students contend that women's universities are essential sanctuaries where women can engage in meaningful discourse free from societal bias and discrimination that persist in higher education and the broader society.
The protests reached a boiling point in November 2024 when students occupied the main university building for 24 days, causing damage to university facilities. This inevitably led to the university filing criminal complaints against 21 students, estimating the damage at up to 5.4 billion won. However, by May 2025, the university withdrew all criminal charges and chose not to pursue civil lawsuits or internal disciplinary measures, opting instead for dialogue and mutual respect to resolve the issue.
With the conclusion of the three-week occupation in mid-May 2025, the protests have ceased, but the student body's opposition remains steadfast. The university leadership has declared a readiness to engage all stakeholders in open discussion through the formation of a new committee.
In essence:
- Dongduk Women's University is intent on transitioning to coeducation to modernize its academic offerings, particularly in engineering.
- Students passionately oppose this move, believing it dilutes the institution’s mission to uplift women and maintain a protected educational environment free from gender prejudice.
- The protests culminated in legal action, which the university later withdrew in May 2025 to foster dialogue.
- The student body persists in calling for a halt to the coeducation discussions, while the university prepares to collaborate with diverse viewpoints via a newly formed committee.
The balancing act between institutional transformation aspirations and student resistance to preserve women-only educational spaces continues to define this evolving situation.
- In the realm of education-and-self-development, Dongduk Women's University's plans to transition to coeducation, focusing on offering engineering programs, stirred controversy among students.
- For general-news, the steady opposition from students to the proposed coeducation, rooted in concerns about diluting the institution's mission to empower women and maintain a gender-bias-free environment, has led to talks of collaboration between the university and diverse stakeholders in political discourse.
