HE transformation is exposing deep fissures in the system

South Korea’s higher education system is grappling with a transformative period marked by reform initiatives aimed at addressing longstanding systemic challenges. Declining student populations, driven by the world’s lowest birth rate, coupled with regional disparities and intensifying global competition, have placed unprecedented pressure on universities to adapt.

In response, the government has introduced ambitious projects like the Glocal University 30 initiative and the Regional Innovation System and Education (RISE).

These policies seek to restructure higher education institutions, promote regional revitalisation and boost global competitiveness. Yet, these reforms have also exposed the deep fissures within the system, sparking resistance from students, faculty and regional communities alike.

One of the most prominent aspects of the government-led initiative is the push for consolidation and integration between universities, especially in non-metropolitan areas. The government envisions these mergers as a pathway to creating globally competitive institutions while addressing the challenges of declining enrolment and financial instability.

However, this vision has been met with strong resistance. For example, the proposed integration of Pukyong National University and Korea Maritime and Ocean University in Busan has ignited fierce opposition among Pukyong students. Students have been concerned about the loss of institutional identity and the lack of transparent communication.

Similarly, at Chungbuk National University and Korea National University of Transportation, resistance has been equally intense. Chungbuk students have expressed strong concerns about the potential loss of their university’s prestige and identity in a merged institution. The discourse has extended to instances of ‘social closure’, and even hostility, as seen in derogatory remarks directed at Korea National University of Transportation students on online platforms.

Beyond logistics

This highlights the emotional and psychological dimensions of these reforms that go beyond logistical challenges. At the institutional level, the recent student protests at Dongduk Women’s University illustrate the contentious landscape, where practical concerns about implementation collide with emotional and cultural attachments to tradition.

The ongoing controversy at Dongduk Women’s University revolves around a proposed transition to co-education, sparking fierce resistance from students, alumni and faculty.

Students have expressed strong opposition with the slogan “we would rather perish than open up”, citing concerns about the erosion of the university’s identity as a women-only institution and broader issues of gender equity in Korean society. The dispute prompted protests that intensified into a full-scale occupation of the university’s main building.

As a consequence, the student-led protests, which included the defacement of university property and disruptions to academic activities, have drawn significant nationwide attention.

Critics of the movement have highlighted the extreme tactics employed, such as vandalism and forced cancellations of events like graduation recitals and job fairs. These actions have divided the university community, with some alumni advocating for pragmatic adaptation to demographic and financial realities, while others side with the students in defending the institution’s traditional mission.

The university administration, in response, has sought legal measures to end the occupation, filing injunctions and criminal complaints against the student leaders. Despite multiple attempts at dialogue, negotiations between the administration and student representatives have repeatedly broken down, deepening the impasse.

Systemic pressures

The shocking mess that protesting students made at Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul continues to reveal the dysfunctional relationship between higher education and public policy in Korea. While the immediate controversy revolves around whether a historically female-only institution should admit male students, it exposes the deeper systemic pressures confronting Korean universities.

There are two big lenses through which these reforms and oppositions can be examined.

First, from the vantage view of global competition, the global higher education landscape has grown increasingly tense. Anglophone countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, continue to dominate in attracting international students through strong brands, meticulous recruitment strategies, extensive English-medium programmes, and higher employability in the global job market. These are effective pieces of cosmopolitan capital that attract students.

In contrast, Korean universities are under pressure to reconsider their traditional models and undertake significant reforms to remain globally relevant and sustainable. For women-only institutions in particular, which are predominantly teaching-oriented in South Korea, it becomes particularly challenging to stand out in this rankings-driven environment.

Second, the financial challenges facing Korean universities further compound this crisis. It is hard to believe that Korean universities continued to survive and rank so highly on some international indices, given the 15-year tacit freeze on tuition rates, driven by the government. With typical tuition averaging only about US$7,000 to US8,000 per year, universities have been forced to look to international student revenues.

At the same time, Korea’s declining youth population, due to the world’s lowest birth rate, has led to a sharp drop in domestic enrolment, which is likely to fall even more sharply in the future. Universities outside Seoul, in particular, are struggling to fill seats and maintain operational viability.

However, this reliance on international student recruitment can lead to tension. Some top-performing Korean students at elite universities express dissatisfaction, feeling that the international students admitted under different criteria might not meet the rigorous academic standards set for domestic students. This perception can create a divisive atmosphere, rather than fostering the intended collaborative and enriched educational environment.

Messy policy

It is no surprise that Dongduk is looking for new ways to enhance its bottom line, going so far as to question its identity and explore ways to attract a non-traditional population, that is male students. The case of Dongduk Women’s University highlights the forced reforms many institutions must adopt to survive.

This phenomenon is not unique to any single institution but reflects a broader wave of restructuring across the sector. The resistance from students and alumni underscores how difficult these transformations can be, especially when they challenge deeply ingrained traditions or institutional identities. However, failing to adapt could lead to closure or a substantial loss of reputation and competitiveness.

Ultimately, these cases exemplify the ongoing crisis in Korean higher education. Preserving their identity while implementing the changes necessary to secure their future is essential. Would any university in this country agree to perish rather than open up?

No doubt university cleaning crews will wash away the mess that students have made of Dongduk campus, but more work is still to be done to clean up the messy national educational policy which has been left unattended for far too long.

Kyuseok Kim is a PhD candidate at Korea University and centre director of IES Abroad Seoul. E-mail: ks.kyuseok.kim@gmail.com. D’Arcy Drachenberg is director of the Global Network Center at Taejae University, South Korea. E-mail: drachenberg@taejae.ac.kr

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.