Tag Archives: Korea

University Lecturers (adjunct professors in US terms) of Korea Sit-in 960 Days

Posted on September 14, 2010 by | Comments Off on University Lecturers (adjunct professors in US terms) of Korea Sit-in 960 Days

University Lecturers (adjunct professors in US terms) of Korea Sit-in 960 Days –
Revise the Higher Education Act of Korea to Restore the Status of Teachers (educator)!

Why are university lecturers committing suicide in Korea?

Very similar to more than half of Korean workers who are irregular workers, university lecturers who have no tenure (permanent status) are ‘irregular’ (without formal affiliation and benefits) and in constant job insecurity. Seven lecturers have committed suicide since 1998, facing hardship and humiliation after obtaining their PhDs with sacrifice and many hopes. For the sake of the lecturers, the university students and their parents, and a just and high quality education system, is time to reverse this and restore to lecturers and irregular professors the status of teacher (or educator).

What are the working conditions of the lecturers?
Lecturers are only part-time workers and are not considered ‘teachers’ with all the benefits of teachers under Korean law. Most lecturers are doing self-censorship to keep their affiliation and have the chance to be employed as full-time professors. Full-time professors and lecturers can not cooperate in research and education, the former work is heavy. Lecturers lecture half of all subjects taught but the salary is 5-10% of regular professors.

Universities have laid off 1,219 lecturers, in fact, out of 5,000 ~ 10,000 lecturers in 2009. One lecturer from Chung-Ang University, Jin Jungkwon, criticized the University president’s sexually harassing words to a girl student and was fired. Lecturers can be fired virtually without cause or hesitation. They cannot easily be active in unions or speak out about their exploitation for fear of job loss. Lecturers are often fired with a phone call or text message – it is so simple and easy to dismiss them.

The number of lecturers is 85,000 in Korea, while total number of irregular professors is 135,000. Yet the number of regular professors is 55,000.

Since 1998, seven lecturers have wanted to change the lecturer system and have committed suicide in their sorrow and frustration.
Dr. Han Kyoungseon of Keonkook University went to University of Texas at Austin and committed suicide, leaving her will to be carried out by KBS TV. Similarly, professor of physics Lee Seongik of Sogang University professor committed suicide in 2010.

How did this situation start?

Originally lecturers were recognized as teachers, under the Korean Constitution. However the ruling dictator, Park Chung-hee, in the 1970s, had wanted to keep the presidency permanently and kicked out the faculties and students who demanded democracy out of college.

He deprived the status of teacher (which has certain work benefits and title) from young lecturers who were critical of the dictatorship and taught students about democracy in 1977. This is same as in the Philippines under Marcos, or Indonesia under Suharto. This system is a major cause of the corruption of the university.

Three ruling and opposition party members have submitted bills to revise the Higher Education Act to get back status of teacher to lecturers in the 17th session of National Assembly. But due to lobbying and oppression by the Korean Council for University Education and Korea government’s irresponsibility, the same bills still have not been voted on in the current 18th legislative session.

Only two elderly lecturers are continuing to do 960 days of sit-in in a small tent in front of the National Assembly since 7 September 2007. Lecturers, students, parents and citizens are doing solidarity demonstrations at 12 places nationwide.

What is the impact on Korean society?

Korea has entered into society of knowledge after industrialization. The college entrance rate is 84 percent of high school graduates. 80% of all universities are privately owned. Universities in Korea use people’s high ambition for education in a commercial way. The fees of university as high as second in the world after the United States.

The university uses education based on memorization, a method of an industrial society. Students only seek credits and achievements. In this way, students are unmotivated to work hard to learn good things for the community and the value of sustainability in a knowledg-based society.

Kim Yeseul, a junior of Korea University, said she couldn’t any longer learn at the university that dropped to the status of a puppet of capital and industry, and she quit the school in 2010. Universities of Korea are on the eve of a ‘68 Revolution of Paris, where students demanded jobs and boycotted a memorization-based education.

This problem could be solved by revision of Higher Education Act that get back the status of teacher to lecturers. This is way of Korean students to learn and practice democracy, conscience, sharing and solidarity to the neighboring countries and people.

“Return Our Professors Who Got Laid Off! We Condemn the mass layoff of 88 Irregular Professors!”

The proportion of college students from Korea in the USA and of American university PhD graduates in South Korea universities is very high. The number of Korean students registered in the United States is 108,396 in 2010. They are second highest number of all nationalities of people who study in USA.

Among the foreign universities with the highest number of doctoral degrees between 1999 ~ 2003, the second is Korea’s Seoul National University’s 1,655 members, the 5th is Yonsei University’s 720 members, 8th is Korea University’s 445 members.

50.5 percent of full-time faculties of Seoul National University had received their PhD in the United States in 2005, and that of the social sciences is 82%. In comparison, only 4.8% of the full-time faculty of the University of Tokyo had received their PhD in the US.

From the standpoint of international universities, South Korea is a ‘doctor’s grave’ to students returning home. Many students come to the universities of South Korea from abroad to study. However they learn from lecturers who are deprived of the status of teacher, so they cannot easily receive the spirit of critical, collaborative, creative and sustainable learning.

So the revision of the Higher Education Act in South Korea to get back the status of teacher to lecturers is required internationally.

Show your support for a group of workers who can not easily speak out for fear of their future careers – lecturers and irregular professors!

Take a step to support workers, fulfill the education rights of students, and restore integrity and hope to the education system in Korea!

Please send an email to the persons as below with the letter of “Help to pass the bill of Higher Education Act in the Korean National Assembly to get back the status of teachers to university lecturers in Korea”.

President of Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, webmaster@president.go.kr

Head of the Committee for Education and Science & Technology of Korean National Assembly, Lee Jong-kul, anyang21@hanmail.net

Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Ahn Byung-man, webmaster@mest.go.kr
Head of Korean Council for University Education & President of Korea University, Lee Ki-su, e-kisu@korea.ac.kr

We want the solidarity of the UN, ILO and all supporting people in the world to this issue.

Attention: Ms. Kim Dongay
Center to Get Back Status of Teacher for Lecturer & Normalization of University Education

Visit our website: http://stip.or.kr

Mobile: +82-10-9100-1824
Address: Youngdeungpokoo Sindorimdong 186-5, 2F. Nodongnet. 150-832. Seoul Korea
Donations: Post Office, 014027-02-051521

To contact us for more information:
Address: Youngdeungpokoo Sindorimdong 186-5, 2F. Nodongnet. 150-832. Seoul Korea
Donations: Post Office, 014027-02-051521

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Police to probe ‘dirty deals’ for professorship at Korean universities

Posted on September 14, 2010 by | Comments Off on Police to probe ‘dirty deals’ for professorship at Korean universities

Police to probe ‘dirty deals’ for professorship at universities

Police will investigate allegations raised in a suicide note by an hourly lecturer who accused some universities of having requested kickbacks in exchange for professor jobs.

Gwangju Seobu Police Station said Thursday that its officers are trying to verify the contents of the five-page suicide note left by a 45-year-old hourly university lecturer at Chosun University, identified only by his surname Seo, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The note is reportedly addressed to President Lee Myung-bak.

Seo also alleged that he was forced to write a number of academic papers on behalf of his supervising professor, insisting all the papers were published in the professor’s name. Investigators are currently questioning his family members and colleagues at the university to find out what drove him to end his life.

With Seo’s bereaved family members moving to take legal action against those implicated, the police will likely soon start an investigation into Seo’s allegations that he was asked to provide tens of millions of won by some universities in return for a permanent teaching position.

It is a widely-known secret that many universities here, particularly financially troubled private schools, demand large sums of money in return for a teaching position.

According to the police, Seo said in his note that he was offered the chance to buy a faculty position at a private university in South Jeolla Province for 60 million won two years ago. In March this year, he was also asked to donate 100 million for professorship by a private university in Gyeonggi Province.

Seo alleged that Chosun University was trying to kick him out, saying he had no choice but to kill himself under the mounting stress. “The country should do something for part-time lecturers. We also must do something to change the increasingly corrupt Korean society. I want an investigation into what I went through,’’ he was quoted as saying by the police.

The dead lecturer also claimed that he wrote a total of 54 thesis and other academic papers for his supervising professor and they were all published in the professor’s name, demanding investigation into the matter.

After receiving a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Seoul, he enrolled in graduate school at Chosun University and received a Masters degree and Ph.D. in English literature. Since 2000, he has been working as a lecturer at the university.

Police suspect that after failing to gain a permanent position two months ago, he became extremely disheartened and decided to take his own life.

Meanwhile, part-time lecturers at Chosun University plan to set up a memorial altar on the campus to pay tribute to him and organize a rally to demand law enforcement authorities get to the bottom of the corruption allegations raised by Seo.

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A long struggle for part-time lecturers in Korea

Posted on September 14, 2010 by | Comments Off on A long struggle for part-time lecturers in Korea

A long struggle for part-time lecturers
Couple lives in tent for 1,000 days in protest
By Park Si-soo

For 1,000 days, a couple in their 60s has lived in a worn-out, small tent pitched on a sidewalk leading toward the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, demanding the passage of bills to improve part-time lecturers’ employment status and working conditions.

Kim Young-kon, 62, and his wife Kim Dong-ay, 64, started their protest along with other part-time lecturers on Sept. 7, 2007 when then three major political parties submitted the bill.

Initially, they thought the legislation would be passed soon but their hopes have not materialized yet. In the early days of the protest, many part-time lecturers joined them but now just the couple remains.

Mr. Kim regularly lectures on Korean labor history at a Seoul university part-time and his wife once taught Chinese history. Last winter, Kim’s wife collapsed from chronic fatigue by constant exposure to cold and since then has trouble walking.

Despite the hardship, they are still eating, sleeping and studying under the extreme conditions in their form of silent demand for the establishment of legal grounds for the increase of part-time lecturers’ wages and other improvements to working conditions.

“Nothing has changed,” Mr. Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. “We will continue our struggle until the bills we have fought for will be passed.”
Paychecks and welfare for some 70,000 part-time lecturers, who cover nearly 40 percent of classes at universities nationwide, have stalled for decades despite their rapid growth. Unlike regular professors, they have not been guaranteed “teacher’ status.”

A report issued by the education ministry in April said a part-time lecturer’s annual income was estimated at 7.68 million won ($6,380), way below per capita gross national income of 20.45 million won last year. Part-time lecturers are not protected by pension or insurance schemes that are provided by schools to other professors. Nine lecturers have committed suicide since 1999, denouncing the poor working conditions.

“They are being exploited without official contracts,” Mr. Kim said.

Lecturers began to receive such unfair treatment from 1977 when the Park Chung-hee authoritarian government downgraded their legal status as a punitive measure against those who instigated students to stand up against the government.

‘Also meaningful for students’
The poor working conditions drew fresh attention after a part-time lecturer took his own life, leaving behind a suicide note in which he accused some universities of having requested kickbacks in exchange for full-time professor jobs. A police investigation of the alleged universities is underway.
The tragic news provided a snapshot of long-established corruptive practices in academia, but at the same time, gave great leverage to the rally.
Scores of supporters from civic and parents’ groups and students’ associations are working with the couple at present, staging a one-man protest at twelve locations nationwide.

“It’s a positive sign, but I don’t think the increasing attention is a surefire way of ensuring the amendment,” he said, calling for more active participation of college students who he claims are firsthand victims under the current system.

“They think this struggle is only for ourselves (part-time lecturers). No, it’s for all,” he said. “With part-time lecturers covering nearly half of all classes, improved working conditions for them should serve positively to students’ achievements.”

At present, two bills designed to upgrade their status by Rep. Lee Sang-min of the ruling Grand National Party and Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the main opposition Democratic Party, are pending at the National Assembly. But their endorsement is unlikely in near the future as they have been put on the back burner.

“I will never give up,” Kim said, with his eyes showing some fatigue. “I strongly believe this campaign is valuable not only for lecturers but also our society.”

Following the one-hour interview, he rushed to a civic group building for a lecture.

“I’m supposed to sleep in the tent tonight. It’s quite nice to sleep there thanks to the warm weather,” he smiled, showing off a thick draft of his new book on emerging labor issues in Asian states. “It’s my home and research lab as well as the campaign headquarters.”
An event to celebrate the 1,000th-day anniversary of the protest will be held at 6 p.m. today in front of the tent.

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Recovering Status for University Teachers in Korea following mass dismissals

Posted on November 14, 2009 by | Comments Off on Recovering Status for University Teachers in Korea following mass dismissals

Recovering Status for University Teachers in Korea
http://stip.or.kr/

On August 12, 2009, Korea University (KU) dismissed 88 lecturers who taught on the KU campus. The teachers who were dismissed were those who had taught four or more semesters and did not possess a doctorate.

Kim Youngkon (’68, Economics) a lecturer who now teaches “The History of Labor” at KU. Kim, is carrying out a one-man demonstration on the injustice of the dismissals, which nowadays is being referred to as “the massacre.”

Kim had graduated from KU, became an executive official of the Daewoo Heavy Industry Labor Union, and later worked as a chairperson for the National Labor Movement Organization Council, as well as writing the publication The History and Future of Korean Labor.

Kim can now be seen near the National Assembly building living in a blue tent, outside of which there stands numerous posters denouncing the current status of university lecturers and the injustice of the mass dismissals. Kim stated that he had started his one-man demonstration in front of the National Assembly building in 2006, and has been camping out in protest in the same place since September 7, 2007.

Then why is Kim putting up with such hardships? This is because of his firm belief as a professional in the field of labor as well as his strong convictions as a labor activist. He says that even if the law for “non-regular” workers were to change, he would not be entitled to benefit from such a provision because of his age.

The reason for the mass dismissal of lecturers at KU was the following policy: If a non-regular lecturer were to teach more than four semesters, he or she would have to be promoted to the status of full time lecturer. This would cost the university up to five times more for each such lecturer. The dismissals were the core incident that brought this issue to light.

Such dismissals are not unique to KU. According to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) as of September 9, 1,219 lecturers have been dismissed from 112 universities because they did not possess a doctorate degree. Consequently, from the total 200 universities located in South Korea, over 2,000 lecturers are estimated to have been dismissed for the same reasons.

Then what can be done to resolve this issue? “We need to democratize and normalize universities,” stated Kim. “Lecturers, who are widely recognized as having power within the classroom, actually do not have much power; we can say that they are ‘slaves’ to their owner, the head of the university. There are serious problems in the current law that regulates the status of all teachers, and the problem must be solved as soon as possible.”

In 1977, the South Korean statute on the classification of school personnel was changed. According to clause 2 of Article 14 of this statute, the teaching staff of a school should only include the dean, professors, assistant professors, assistant teachers, and full-time lecturers. In legal terms, this means that “non-regular” lecturers do not have the same power or authority as other staff members at the university at which they are teaching.

The two main goals Kim is currently striving to achieve are an amendment to include lecturers within the statute of official personnel and to provide better conditions for lecturers within the university. “When lecturers finally reclaim their status as teachers, this will bring about a chain reaction that will benefit all; and yes, this also includes students,” Kim stated.

From August 24 through 28 of this year, KU students had an additional period to apply for the lectures that they would take in the second semester of 2009. However, the lecturers were fired even after students had finished registering for the fired lecturers’ classes. “This action violates the students’ rights to education,” said Kim. “The students were ready to take a course, which was then abruptly taken away from them. Substantially, the mass dismissals not only violate the lecturers’ rights, but also the rights of the students. These are both rights that must be protected.”

Not only that, Kim argues that these mass dismissals will lower the standards of university education. “Because lecturers do not have authority and status within the classroom, this can greatly reduce the lecturers’ responsibility to and conviction regarding the students, as well as the quality of their lectures. This may further reduce lecturer and student contact, which will make the problem even worse. University tuition is continuously increasing, but ironically, education standards have plummeted. As anyone can see, there is something wrong with this.”

Despite the uncertain road that lies ahead, Kim remains convinced of the importance of his cause. “In order to solve today’s problem, the first, and most important, thing that must be done is that lecturers need to recover their status and authority as personnel at the university. And as this issue is a problem that stretches nation-wide, it must accordingly be dealt with on a national scale.”

“I am currently demonstrating in front of the Grand National Party building in front of MEST headquarters, at both the Anam and Sejong KU campuses, in front of the Seoul National University headquarters, and in front of Ewha University,” said Kim. “Many others are also expected to join me as well. However, this mission cannot be completed by us only. Students must become enlightened about this problem and lend a hand to solve it. Only then can our dream be achieved.”

***

Please write a letter of request to rivese the Higher Education Act to the Perosns as below email Adresses, containing words of below.

“Dear ****
Please, help to decide the issue of the Higer Education Act in Korea National Assembly to get back the status of teacher to the 70,000 parttime lecturers of universities. They were deprived the status of teacher in 1977 under President Park Junghee. The revision of Act will develop the study & teaching, help the students to escape from the education of memorization to initiativeness, adapt to the scoiety of knowledge and democratize the university. Some lecturers has been sitting in strike in front of the Korea National Assembly since Sept. 7, 2007 until now.”

***
President of Korea University, Lee Ki-su, e-kisu@korea.ac.kr
President of Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, mailer@president.go.kr
Head of the Committee for Education and Science & Technology of Korean National Assembly, Lee Jong-kul, anyang21@hanmail.net
Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Ahn Byung-man, webmaster@mest.go.kr
Head of Korean Council for University Education & President of Ewha University, Lee Bae-yong.
master@kcue.or.kr

***

Center to Get Back Status of Teacher for Irregular Professor and Normalization of University Education.
http://stip.or.kr/
email: srangni@hanmail.net
Mobile phone: 82-10-9100-1824
Address: Yeongdeungpoku Dolimdong 186-5, 2nd floor, Nodognnet. Seoul, Koea.

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Update on Korea University layoffs

Posted on August 28, 2009 by | Comments Off on Update on Korea University layoffs

This is the news of the demand for revocation of the 88 lecturers laid off by Korea University.

It is understood that 88 lecturers from Korea University, and 5,000-10,000 lecturers in the whole country, have been the victims of lay-offs.

If it was a typical company those who were fired could fight and in the case of Ssangyong Motors, they fought and were able to achieve a half-victory. However if a fired lecturer fights, in the academic world that lecturer would be labelled as a troublemaker, and it would be the end of his career. It is worse than simply being put on a blacklist. Even I myself teach every semester with the thought that it may be my last one to seek university normalization. So even though all of the 88 lecturers are as one in resenting the dismissal, they cannot step forward to fight it.

One laid off lecturer says: I don’t want to lecture anymore. Another lecturer who has a PhD says: My child are just two so I can’t speak up. Another lecturer said to his department, I received to teach three courses in the second semester; but I can’t teach any longer because I can’t stand this Korea University which only gives lip service to academic freedom and conscience’. The department said it was struggling with the university so they should be a little patient.

On Koreapas (koreapas.net) one laid-off lecturer’s wife posted the desperate words below, on 8. 23:

The following is what i posted online on July 10 on the university homepage’s Cyber-inspection room for online petitions. Since I received no reply I posted it on the free bulletin board, but maybe because it became old it has been removed and I am re-posting it here. Whatever is the reason we need a cyber-inspection room, if they simply ignore what people post without responding at all? It would be less embarrassing if they simply got rid of it….

‘I am the wife of an hourly paid lecturer who is teaching at your esteemed university.

A few days ago, my husband was contacted by a department professor who told him that since he has worked over 4 terms in the second semester he would be dismissed.

The department professor told him, this instruction was passed to them through an official notice from the university central department in relation to the irregular worker act.
What I don’t understand is, my husband already received the instruction to proceed teaching in the second semester at the end of the first semester; the teaching schedule for the second semester has already been posted and students’ course applications already received, and the irregular worker act does not even apply.

That even a famous private university, Korea University which is called the people’s university, would do this kind of excessive and rude act is a fact that makes me angry and miserable.

I even think that now there are no longer any teachers existing, who think of education seriously. It only inspires disillusionment and contempt that, in this country, the university itself is the place that is turning a large number of hourly lecturers who are responsible for education, into a socially weak and marginalized class.

I hope that you can abandon the false image of authority which is not even recognized, and wake up and clarify this for us.’

Even though he had no security for his future, my husband lived with fulfillment from teaching his students and juniors. But now I see that he has lost all motivation and as his wife I feel anxious and insecure.

I feel, it is not right to use and dispose of a person like this.

I feel, it is not right to ignore even the students’ right to study as they choose, like this.

I wonder, as an alumnus of Korea University myself, whether I should just accept all this, and so I ask for the rest of the Korea University community for your thoughts…

***
On August 21, 10 a.m., in front of the central Anam Building of Korea Univerdity, a press conference titled ‘Please let us have our teachers back!’ was held by Korea Univ student unions, where over 40 people attended, including Chung Tae-ho, president of Anam Campus of Korea Univ. student union, Lee Sae-ra, vice president of Sejong Campus of Korea Univ. student union, representatives of College of Political Economy, representatives of College of Liberal Arts, Kim Dong-ae, head of Central Struggle Committee for Restoration of University Teacher Status of University Lecturers and Normalization of University education, Song Hwan-woong, vice director of National Association of School Parents for Genuine Education, Do Chun-soo, president of Korea University Democracy Alumni Association, and others. Reporters from several media attended including MBC, SBS, YTN, Seoul Newspaper, Hangook University Newspaper, Korea University Newspaper, Bae Lusia Int! ! ernet, etc. and YTN has reported on it.

Korea University union local leader Kim Young-kon said, ‘Whether from the aspect of the irregular worker protection act or raising the quality of lecturers, there are no grounds for dismissing the lecturers.’ Vice director Song Hwan-woong said ‘Apart from university entrance, if you want to improve the quality of university education and university lecturers, the dismissal of the lecturers must be revoked and their status as university teachers restored. President Do Chun-soo said, ‘Korea University must restore the jobs of the dismissed lecturers, and vice president Lee Ki-su of the Korean University Association should join in calling for the restoration of university teacher status to lecturers.’ President Jung Tae-ho said, ‘Give back our teachers.’ Vice president Lee Sae-ra said, ‘ The dismissal of our teachers is unfair and we demand revocation of the dismissals.’ Resolutions continued to be read out and shared.

****
You can send a letter to want revocation of laid-off lecturers of Korean University to below emails.
President of Korea University Lee Ki-su, e-kisu@korea.ac.kr
President of Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, webmaster@president.go.kr
Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Ahn Byung-man, webmaster@mest.go.kr
Head of Korean Council for University Education & President of Ewha University, Lee Bae-yong. master@ewha.ac.kr
Head of the Committee for Education and Science & Technology of Korean National Assembly, Lee Jong-kul, anyang21@hanmail.net

Kim Young-kon, Korea University union local leader
Kim Dong-ae, head of Central Struggle Committee for Restoration of University Teacher Status of University Lecturers and Normalization of University education

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Korean University Professors Union Reports Layoffs and Protests

Posted on August 24, 2009 by | Comments Off on Korean University Professors Union Reports Layoffs and Protests

Report from Korean University Irregular Professors Union, Chairman Kim Youngkon:

1935565411_yw3odw6r_imgp2636jpg2006224861_3gquvwvl_imgp2614jpg

Korea University laid off 88 irregular professors in July. Professors who have doctorate are except from the law that protects regular professors’ employment rights. Irregular professors lecture 4.2 hours a week average in Korea.

Korean irregular professors have no status in Korean Higher Education Law. Korean irregular professors want the Higher Education Law to be revised.

http://stip.or.kr/

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