National Universities to Abolish Outdated Military Regime Regulations

The remnants of the 'Student Defense Corps Regulations,' introduced during the Yushin regime and persisting in national universities for over 50 years, are finally expected to be abolished. This follows a focused inquiry by Rep. Baek Seung-a of the Democratic Party during a National Assembly audit, where university presidents acknowledged the issues with these undemocratic regulations and pledged to amend them.

According to a survey conducted by the National Student Council and the University Journalists Network in June, which covered 193 universities nationwide, a staggering 99.0% (191 institutions) still maintain unconstitutional provisions such as pre-approval for publications (59.1%), pre-approval for gatherings (49.7%), and pre-screening of posted materials (47.2%).

Documents obtained by Aju Economy from Rep. Baek Seung-a's office and the University Journalists Network reveal that only three universities (1.6%, including Kangwon National University, Sangji University, and Jeonju University) explicitly grant student representatives the authority to propose amendments to university regulations. The monopolization of amendment rights by university presidents has structurally blocked student initiatives, leading to decades of inaction despite repeated recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission.

Regulations established during the dictatorship have been misused by university authorities as tools to suppress student governance activities, including student media and student councils. University administrations have viewed students not as equal members of the academic community but as subjects to be controlled, resorting to retaliatory disciplinary actions and censorship whenever dissenting voices emerge.

For instance, at Catholic University in August 2020, a student rights group attempted to post a welcome banner for LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ freshmen, but the university administration delayed approval for over six months, citing 'publication posting approval and inspection regulations.' When students finally posted the banner, it was removed within a day.

At Hanshin University, in 2020, student council leaders held a tent protest and press conference against corruption and undemocratic academic administration. However, instead of addressing the legitimate concerns raised, the university administration imposed severe penalties, including indefinite suspensions, claiming the students violated regulations against damaging the school's reputation and holding unauthorized gatherings.

At Dongduk Women's University, when the editorial board of the publication Mokhwa released its 55th issue in March, the university administration threatened to confiscate the publication for lacking prior approval from the president and even issued eviction notices to the editorial office. However, following public criticism, the university revised its pre-approval system to a notification system in September.

Additionally, incidents such as the refusal to approve a pro-Hong Kong democracy poster at Yonsei University and the forced removal of a memorial poster for security workers at Hongik University illustrate how pre-approval and inspection systems have been routinely abused to obstruct freedom of expression across various universities.

The National Human Rights Commission has long pointed out the unconstitutionality of these regulations. In March 2007, it recommended that 20 public universities amend or eliminate provisions prohibiting student gatherings and political activities, citing violations of fundamental rights.

Since then, the Commission has continued to issue corrective recommendations. In September 2021, it advised the amendment or abolition of regulations requiring presidential approval for publication and gatherings, and in September 2022, it recommended revising restrictions on promotional materials.

Most recently, in decisions announced in August and December 2025, the Commission stated that the removal of posters based on regulations requiring prior approval violated constitutional protections for freedom of expression and the principles of excessive prohibition and prior restraint, urging immediate amendments to related student conduct regulations and pre-approval rules.

However, the Ministry of Education has faced criticism for evading effective administrative action by citing 'university autonomy' during National Assembly audits.

During the 2021 audit, the Ministry responded passively to inquiries from Rep. Yoon Young-deok, stating, "Amendments to university regulations fall under the authority of the university president, and intervention by the Ministry could undermine university autonomy." In the 2022 audit, in response to Rep. Kang Deuk-gu's inquiry, the Ministry reiterated its commitment to encouraging universities to improve undemocratic and unconstitutional provisions within their regulations.

Three years later, during the 2025 audit, the Ministry announced it would consider revising the Student Defense Corps regulations, but no corrective orders or comprehensive surveys targeting universities were implemented.

However, during the 2026 audit, in response to Rep. Baek Seung-a's inquiry, the Ministry indicated it would appropriately guide and supervise universities to prevent violations of freedom of the press within university regulations.

During the National Assembly audit on October 21, Rep. Baek Seung-a strongly urged all attending national university presidents to immediately abolish undemocratic regulations.

Rep. Baek stated, "The Constitution does not recognize permits or censorship for press and publication, nor for gatherings and associations. Under the Assembly Law, gatherings only require notification to the police, and even the National Assembly does not require permits for gatherings. Yet, the regulations at Jinju National University require presidential approval for both on-campus and off-campus gatherings, while the regulations at Gyeongsang National University mandate presidential approval before distributing printed materials, with penalties for violations." She further pointed out that despite the National Human Rights Commission's recommendations in 2007, only Changwon National University has removed the problematic provisions among the targeted national universities. In response, Kim Sung-kyu, president of Jinju National University, acknowledged, "Honestly, I recognize that these regulations are outdated. We will amend the regulations."

Subsequently, on November 4, all targeted national universities expressed their willingness to comply with the demand for regulatory amendments in writing. The universities include Kangwon National University, Gyeongbuk National University, Gyeongsang National University, National Pukyong University, Busan National University of Education, Busan National University, Jinju National University, and Korea Maritime and Ocean University.

Kangwon National University stated, "The existing regulations limited individual or collective actions and activities that violate the university's educational objectives or hinder the basic functions of teaching and research. However, during the process of amending regulations following the establishment of the integrated university, we deleted those provisions to ensure the protection of students' autonomous and democratic activities." The university added, "We will continue to maximize the guarantee of students' autonomous and democratic activities while ensuring the safety and learning rights of all university members."

Gyeongbuk National University affirmed, "We respect students' rights to assemble, express themselves, and engage in autonomous activities, and there have been no instances of restricting student activities based on political views or the content of gatherings. The relevant regulations were intended to protect the educational and research functions of the university and the learning rights of other students." However, they acknowledged that some expressions in Article 61 of the regulations, which state that students cannot engage in actions that hinder the university's primary functions, could be subject to arbitrary interpretation, and they will consider amending the regulations to clarify the restrictions based on student feedback and examples from other national universities.

Gyeongsang National University noted, "The provisions in our regulations that require prior approval, censorship, and restrictions on student activities are related to Articles 107 and 111 of the regulations and Article 159 of the academic management regulations." These provisions require presidential approval for distributing printed materials, inviting external speakers, engaging in external activities, publishing materials, and holding gatherings. They added, "We will closely review these provisions and aim to delete or amend them within the 2026 academic year, incorporating feedback from university members."

After receiving the written responses, Rep. Baek Seung-a remarked, "If national universities take the lead in amending undemocratic regulations, it will set a precedent for change across all universities in the country."

University media and student council representatives welcomed the commitment from national university presidents to amend regulations but emphasized that this must not remain a verbal promise. They called for the complete abolition of undemocratic Student Defense Corps regulations and the guarantee of students' rights to propose amendments to university regulations.

Upon hearing the news, Kim Tae-yoon, representative of the former and current National Student Council Federation, stated, "We welcome the decision of national university presidents to abolish regulations that have oppressed students for over 50 years. Students should be recognized as equal participants in campus democracy, and the unconstitutional regulations present in 99% of universities must be eliminated, along with the legitimate guarantee of student representatives' rights to propose amendments to regulations."

Cha Jong-kwan, executive committee member of the University Journalists Network, also emphasized, "This promise to amend regulations should serve as a turning point to break the unconstitutional chains of prior censorship and retaliatory disciplinary actions by university authorities. The abolition of undemocratic Student Defense Corps regulations is essential for university media to fulfill their role of criticism and oversight without external pressure, allowing them to overcome crises. The integrity of university journalism will flourish alongside student governance and university democracy."

The University Journalists Network plans to continue urging the Ministry of Education to conduct a comprehensive survey of problematic provisions in university regulations and to actively pursue the enactment of the 'University Media Law' (amendment to the Higher Education Act) to legally guarantee the editorial rights and independence of university media.