The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on the 29th that universities excluding opportunities for students to express political and social opinions based on school rules or regulations, or removing posted wall posters, excessively restrict freedom of expression. In this regard, the commission recommended corrective measures to the presidents of Hoseo University and Chungkang College of Cultural Industries.
According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the complainant, a Hoseo University student, applied to the university for approval to post a poster for the "8th anniversary memorial of the Gangnam Station misogynistic murder case," but the school did not approve it, saying it could disrupt the academic atmosphere.
The complainant, a student at Chungkang College of Cultural Industries, also put up wall posters in three campus buildings criticizing the 12·3 martial law emergency, but the university removed them based on internal regulations.
Both universities told the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) they acted under school rules. Hoseo University said, "Under our own regulations, we approve only postings without elements that harm the academic atmosphere for attachment to campus bulletin boards, and remove unapproved postings immediately upon discovery," adding, "We did not approve the poster for the memorial of the Gangnam Station misogynistic murder case because, as it involves sex-related content, it is rife with potential for controversy."
Chungkang College of Cultural Industries said, "Postings in unapproved, undesignated locations and postings that could harm the educational environment aesthetically are removed after a notice period, and the (criticism of the 12·3 martial law emergency) wall posters also needed to be removed as part of campus rules and facility management."
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) assessed that in both cases, although students posted wall posters to express political and social opinions, the universities' removal of them resulted in an excessive restriction of sound expression of opinion and autonomous activities.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also said, "(Hoseo University and Chungkang College of Cultural Industries) regulate in their internal rules contents that are no different from prior approval of postings and censorship of students' social and political activities," adding, "They fundamentally block free debate and criticism on campus."
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the presidents of Hoseo University and Chungkang College of Cultural Industries provide posting spaces where students can freely express their views without prior approval and revise related regulations to avoid excessively restricting freedom of expression.