Police have launched a compulsory investigation into a Sungshin Women's University student who staged a "lacquer-paint protest" opposing the possibility of admitting male students in 2024.

Students, including the student council of Sungshin Women's University, post statements condemning the admission of male students to the Department of International Studies at the Donam Campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon on the 15th. /Courtesy of News1

According to police and others on the 15th, the Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul carried out a search and seizure that day of the residence and other locations of a Sungshin Women's University student, identified as A, who is under suspicion of property damage.

In Nov. 2024, when the school left open applications from men only for the Division of International Studies in the 2025 admissions cycle, Sungshin Women's University students took issue with it and held protests on campus. When some students wrote messages with lacquer on campus buildings and facilities, the school filed a complaint against them on charges including property damage.

Police recently analyzed CCTV footage, identified the suspect, booked the individual on property damage charges, and then launched the search and seizure to secure materials related to the charges, according to reports.

This is the first time police have conducted a compulsory investigation in connection with lacquer-paint protests at women's universities such as Sungshin Women's University and Dongduk Women's University.

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