"Lecture Repeats but Tuition Remains the Same" Angry University Students' 'Samboilbae' Protest

Government and Universities Urged to Implement Tuition Refund Measures
"Unable to Attend Lectures Properly Due to Server Issues"
"Demanding Improved Education Quality, but No Changes Compared to Last Year"

On the 28th, members of the 2021 Tuition Refund Movement Headquarters are marching with the Samboilbae (three steps, one bow) procession toward the Blue House, urging for the refund of tuition fees at universities nationwide. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the spread of COVID-19 continues and university remote classes persist, conflicts between university students and universities over 'tuition refunds' are deepening. Students argue that since the quality of classes has declined due to remote learning, the government and universities should refund tuition fees as compensation. Some student groups have even taken to the streets performing 'samboilbae' (a traditional form of prostration) to demand concrete tuition refund measures.

The '2021 Tuition Refund Movement Headquarters,' a coalition of student councils and youth organizations from Seoul National University, Kyungpook National University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and others, held a press conference on the 28th in front of the Seoul Government Complex, demanding government measures for tuition refunds.

They claimed that "students are demanding improvements in the quality of education, but nothing has changed from last year, and rather, 'recycled lectures' have increased."

On that day, the groups also conducted a 'samboilbae' march, kneeling together in the rain on the streets. It was reported that they plan to hold another march from the National Assembly to the Blue House in April to demand tuition refund measures again.

This is not the first time conflicts have arisen among students, universities, and the government over tuition refunds. Last year, when university classes shifted to non-face-to-face formats due to the spread of COVID-19, controversies over tuition refunds also emerged.

A blood-written letter posted by a Hanyang University student last year on the online college student community 'Everytime'. / Photo by Online Community Capture

Some students even went as far as performing the so-called 'blood letter certification' in June last year to demand meetings with university presidents and tuition refund measures.

Amid growing controversy, the government and universities provided indirect support to struggling students in the form of 'special scholarships.' Earlier, the Ministry of Education secured about 100 billion KRW through the third supplementary budget last year and allocated it for emergency support of university non-face-to-face education.

Additionally, at the end of last year, the Ministry of Education announced a tuition increase cap of 1.2% for this year. According to the university information disclosure website 'University Alimi,' out of 327 universities nationwide, including four-year and junior colleges, only eight universities raised tuition this year. Even those eight universities can only increase tuition up to the 1.2% cap.

However, students argue that this level of support is too small to be of practical help. In a survey conducted by the National University Student Council Network from the 11th to the 26th of last month targeting 4,104 university students, 80.4% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of tuition refunded last year.

On the 18th, the "COVID-19 University Student Damage Testimony Meeting" was held at Daehakro Public Ground, hosted by the 2021 Tuition Refund Movement Headquarters. / Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding this, Kim Minju, national representative of the Peace Butterfly Network, said, "The school's server was unstable, so I couldn't even properly attend the classes I wanted, and it's hard to pay monthly rent and repay student loan interest."

She added, "We can't go to school or use welfare facilities, but tuition remains the same," and criticized, "Neither the school, professors, nor the government are interested in resolving the tuition refund issue."

As conflicts over tuition refunds deepen, voices calling for mediation from the political sphere have also emerged.

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, said at the 'Seoul Area University Student Representatives Meeting' held at Yonsei University Student Union Hall in Seoul that day, "There are limits to what the Seoul city government can do. The mayor cannot directly intervene in the tuition issue, but can propose and urge the government."

He continued, "While it may not be possible to satisfy both sides fully by rationally considering everything, it is necessary to negotiate and provide tuition reductions."

He added, "I think it would be appropriate for the mayor to listen to the opinions of university presidents in Seoul and take on the role of mediator."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.