Changwon National University faculty vote no confidence in president; administration rejects result

A vote by the National Changwon University's faculty council to express no confidence in President Park Min-won has been met with rejection from the university administration. The faculty council reported that 67.7% of participating full-time professors voted in favor of no confidence, with 341 out of 385 faculty members casting a ballot. They cited reasons such as alleged attempts to dismantle the university, abuse of power in appointments, disregard for university council decisions, and autocratic management.

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With overwhelming support, President Park has been declared no confidence by the professors. He has lost the 'democratic legitimacy' granted in the last presidential election.

However, the university headquarters argued that a significant decision like a no-confidence vote requires the approval of over two-thirds of all faculty members, not just those who participated. Based on this standard, they claim the vote did not pass, as only 60% of all full-time professors voted in favor. The administration also raised concerns about the legitimacy of the vote itself, including the existence of a formal procedure for no-confidence votes and the validity of online voting.

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A no-confidence vote like this requires the support of more than two-thirds of all members, which is generally the standard.

Despite the administrative rejection, President Park issued a statement acknowledging the situation with "heavy responsibility" and expressing regret. He pledged to "humbly accept the meaning of the vote results" and to "communicate more with university constituents, including the faculty council, in managing the university." Park called for unity for the university's future, stating, "Now is the time to unite our hearts for the development and future of the university, beyond debating the results."

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I feel a heavy responsibility for the situation reaching the point of a no-confidence vote and I am sorry. I will humbly accept the meaning of the vote results and manage the university with more communication with university constituents, including the faculty council.