The student body of Seoul National University is breaking with the Korean Federation of University Student Councils after the KFUSC played a leading role in recent violent protests. The radical KFUSC or Hanchongryon took the lead in the struggle against the authoritarian governments of the 1970s and 80s but was outlawed by the Supreme Court in 1997 as pro-North Korean. More recently, it has joined anti-U.S. protests at the site of a new U.S. Forces Korea headquarters in Pyeongtaek. ¡°The majority of SNU students reject the blind pursuit of struggles,¡± the head of the SNU Student Council Hwang Ra-yeon told reporters. ¡°That is why it means nothing for the SNU Student Council to be part of KFUSC activities.¡±
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Hwang Ra-yeon (center), the head of the Seoul National University Student Council
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The KFUSC, which sees itself as representative of all college students in Korea, faces the worst crisis of its history, with the student unions of Dongguk, Kyungpook National University and Dankook universities also planning to jump ship.
Dongguk University¡¯s union said it will pull out and refuses to pay the W6 million (US$6,000) annual membership. Dankook University¡¯s student council is considering the same move, while student union leaderships like that of Kyungpook National University were specifically elected on a promise to break with Hanchongryon.
Recent violence by radical student organizations was the last straw. Seven Korea University students face disciplinary punishment after illegally detaining nine professors for 16 hours. The Yonsei University president is working elsewhere after being driven out of his office some 40 days ago by radical students who are occupying the university administrative building. Some 50 pro-North Korea students of Joong-Ang University also occupied the president¡¯s office and painted walls and floor with slogans. In response, other students put up banners which read ¡°No More Violence¡± on campus and met to denounce the occupation.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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