Gominjeong's 'Branch School Remarks' Anger Kyunghee University Students... "You Also Use the Logic of the Powerful"

"Everyone else ate all the persimmons, but only we were treated unfairly," current student frustrated
Gominjeong: "Not belittling alma mater... just the reality experienced at the time"

Gominjeong, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Ko Minjung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who sparked controversy by referring to her alma mater Kyung Hee University International Campus (formerly Suwon Campus) as a 'branch campus,' explained that she "cannot agree with the claim that she belittled her alma mater," but the backlash has not subsided. Kyung Hee University students criticized her, saying, "Isn't Ko's statement also an example of the dominant party's logic?"

On the 18th, posts condemning Ko's 'branch campus remark' continued on Kyung Hee University's anonymous online community 'Everytime' from current students and alumni.

One student said, "In the end, Ko is also intoxicated by the logic of the dominant party. The phrase 'war of the underdogs' is just annoying," adding, "It seems she claims that becoming a KBS announcer or a member of the National Assembly was due to her abilities, not an unfair academic background, but academic background is her own flaw, not an unfair custom."

He continued, "There is no fairness or justice to be found, and it is frustrating that Ko, who calls us 'underdogs' with the dominant party's logic of taking all the sweet persimmons among themselves, is a member of the National Assembly."

Other students also criticized, saying, "She belittled the International Campus as a branch campus for her political storytelling," "She even made it seem like we are fools who can't get a job without the blind recruitment law," and "She is only damaging the school's image."

A post uploaded on Kyung Hee University's anonymous online community. / Photo by Internet Community Capture

Earlier, on the 13th, Ko announced on her Facebook that she would propose the 'Blind Recruitment Act.' This bill aims to legalize 'blind tests' that erase candidates' alma maters during interviews at public institutions.

The problem lies in Ko emphasizing that she is from a 'branch campus' while explaining the necessity of this bill.

Ko said, "I also experienced joining KBS through a blind test, so I feel the importance of legalizing this system more than anyone else," adding, "I graduated from Kyung Hee University's Suwon Campus, which was a branch campus at the time, but thanks to this system, I was able to reach this position."

However, when Kyung Hee University alumni criticized her for 'demeaning the International Campus by calling it a branch campus,' Ko deleted the 'branch campus' part from the original text and revised it to say, "I graduated from Kyung Hee University's Suwon Campus at the time."

But as the controversy continued, Ko posted again to clarify. In a post on the 15th, she said, "I cannot agree with the belittling of my alma mater," and "I honestly spoke about the reality I experienced and described the facts."

She explained, "At that time, not only I but quite a few seniors and juniors found it difficult to get into the companies they wanted. It was a reality that we struggled with employment."

Regarding the controversy over the term 'branch campus,' she added, "It feels like watching a war of the underdogs," and "Seeing the messages pouring in yesterday and today, I realize once again how much the university label controls our lives."

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