"One Year After Spray Paint Protests: Dongduk Women's University Committee Recommends Coeducation as a Starting Point for Survival, Not Just a Choice"

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Dongduk Women's University Campus View

Nearly a year after students opposed the transition to a coeducational system by occupying the campus and staging protests involving spray paint, Dongduk Women's University has once again decided to pursue a transition to a coeducational system.

The Dongduk Women's University Coeducation Transition Deliberation Committee (the Deliberation Committee) announced on December 2 through a "Recommendation Based on the Results of the Coeducation Transition Deliberation" published on the university's website that it recommends the university pursue a transition to a coeducational system.

The Deliberation Committee stated, "In discussions within the deliberative body, at town hall meetings, and through online surveys, opinions in favor of transitioning to a coeducational system were higher than those in favor of maintaining the women's university."

Within the deliberative body, which consisted of 48 members including students, professors, staff, and alumni, 75.8% supported transitioning to a coeducational system, while 12.5% supported maintaining the women's university. In the town hall meeting, which had 406 participants, 57.1% supported coeducation, while 25.2% supported maintaining the women's university. In two rounds of online surveys conducted among a total of 755 university members, support for transitioning to a coeducational system was also around 50% or higher.

The Deliberation Committee emphasized, "This recommendation should not be seen as a simple request for a choice, but as a starting point for innovation and change to ensure the university's survival and the next 100 years of its future," adding, "We urge the university to seriously consider the contents of this recommendation."

Additionally, the committee stated, "We also recommend that the university fully respect and reflect the opinions of those who wish to maintain the women's university," and added, "The university must be fully prepared to address the potential harm and concerns that may arise from the transition to a coeducational system, such as negative admissions outcomes and the possible loss of the women's university identity."

Graduates are taking commemorative photos at the graduation ceremony held on February 21 at Dongduk Women's University in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The recommendations of the Deliberation Committee are not binding. The university administration will analyze the recommendations before making a final decision. A representative from Dongduk Women's University told Yonhap News Agency that "a statement from the university president is scheduled to be released as early as the morning of December 3."

The university will also hold a presentation on December 3 to announce the results of the "2025 Dongduk Women's University Coeducation Transition Analysis and Opinion Collection Study," which has been conducted by the Korea Productivity Center since June. On December 4, an event will be held to remove spray paint from campus facilities, with participation from students, professors, and staff.

Students are strongly opposing the committee's recommendation to transition to a coeducational system. The student council issued a statement claiming that students' opinions were not adequately reflected in the committee's decision. They stated, "This is an issue that other girls' middle schools, high schools, and women's universities may also face," and added, "We will continue to fight and demand from the university administration so that this becomes an important precedent."

In November of last year, Dongduk Women's University students who opposed the transition to a coeducational system occupied the main building and spray-painted campus facilities, sparking significant controversy. As a result, since November 26, the university has deployed a private security company to control access to the main building, heightening tensions on campus.

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