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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Jeonju University Faculty Leader Begins Hunger Strike, Demands Swift Police Probe Into Chair’s Alleged Misconduct

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Lee Ho-jun, head of a Jeonju University emergency committee, began an indefinite hunger strike over allegations involving the university board chair and ongoing campus conflict.
  • The committee has called for the chair not to be reappointed, for the president and close aides to step down, and for a faster police investigation.
  • Jeonju faculty members will vote through Sept. 2 on the chair’s reappointment and whether the university president retains their confidence.

A Jeonju University faculty committee leader began an indefinite hunger strike on Aug. 31, saying he could no longer watch what he described as the university’s continuing decline.

I am beginning this hunger strike with the desperate feeling that I can no longer simply watch the school regress endlessly.

— Lee Ho-junThe emergency committee leader explained why he began the indefinite hunger strike.

Lee Ho-jun, head of the emergency committee seeking the university’s normalization, announced the action at a news conference on campus. The committee demanded that the board chair be barred from another term and that the university president and the chair’s close associates leave their positions.

The committee was formed last September and has accused the chair of arbitrary management and close aides of trying to privatize the university. Lee said efforts to resolve the dispute, including talks with the president, had met with “complete disregard” and an approach based on pushing decisions through.

The most important job of a university president is to coordinate diverse demands and resolve conflicts.

— Lee Ho-junLee criticized the university president’s handling of the campus dispute.

He criticized the recent creation of an audit office directly under the president and changes to rules governing banners, calling them measures aimed at restricting legitimate voices within the university. Lee also questioned the role of outside directors, saying they were introduced to improve transparency, democracy and public accountability in private school operations and to prevent corruption.

If the president intends to remain only in the role of a principal rather than a university president, stepping down as soon as possible would be the way to serve the school.

— Lee Ho-junHe called on the university president to clarify whether they would remain in office.

The committee urged police to speed up an investigation into allegations that the chair accepted golf hospitality and money and intervened in personnel decisions. It said it filed a complaint with the National Police Agency in February, but that the investigation had made little progress after six months. Faculty members will vote from Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 on the chair’s reappointment and whether they support the president. The result is scheduled to be released at a faculty emergency general meeting at 5 p.m. on Sept. 2.

Delayed justice is not justice.

— Jeonju University emergency committeeThe committee used the phrase while demanding a thorough police investigation into allegations involving the board chair.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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