On the morning of the 2nd, on the campus of Dongduk Women's University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. At the main gate, there was a daejabo titled "Dongduk Women's University must stop suppressing daejabos and respond to students' voices." Sticky notes opposing the conversion to engineering were also attached to the daejabo. After the school announced the day before that the daejabo at the main gate could be removed, students pushed back.
As Dongduk Women's University prepares to release findings from its study on a conversion to engineering, a tug-of-war between the school and students is resuming about a year after the so-called "lacquer protest."
Dongduk Women's University will hold a "2025 Dongduk Women's University development engineering conversion analysis and opinion-gathering research service results presentation" for members on the 3rd. It commissioned the Korea Productivity Center (KPC) to conduct a study on the conversion to engineering, and it has been about six months. The school also announced a lacquer removal event on the 4th with participation from students, professors, and staff.
Ahead of the presentation, the school closed the main building entrances starting on the 26th of last month. It appears mindful of last year's student occupation protest at the main building.
Students objected to the closure of the main building and began posting daejabos around campus starting on the 28th of last month. Some argued that the upcoming research results presentation and the lacquer removal event are merely "building a pretext" for the conversion to engineering.
Some students also left protest posts on the admissions office website message board. Many posts opposed the conversion to engineering.
Citing regulations, the school said daejabos collected by staff should be moved to the designated location, the bulletin board in the humanities building. It also announced that if the collection date is not specified, they may be removed at the school's discretion. The admissions office message board was closed, and the post titles were changed to "board under inspection." A school official said, "Under the message board operating rules, posts unrelated to the board's purpose may be set to private."
Tension between the school and students is expected to continue for the time being. Students decided to hold a student-wide referendum titled "Survey of opinions of 8,000 Dongduk members on the conversion to engineering" to coincide with the school's research results presentation. The voting period runs from 8 a.m. on the 3rd to 6 p.m. on the 5th. A majority of enrolled students must participate for it to be valid.
The Central Steering Committee of Dongduk Women's University said, "The Public Deliberation Committee on the conversion to engineering at Dongduk Women's University is discussing the final recommendations, but regardless of the outcome, the final decision on implementation rests with the president," adding, "We decided to hold a student-wide referendum to convey students' views once more so they can be reflected in the final decision."