PNU Daedong-Je successfully ended; however, some staff of Daedong-Je brought up the problem of the system of operation personnel. The problem is that the staff, composed of student members of each college, suffered from excessive work without adequate compensation. Though the student security guards employed by PNU Headquarters got paid, staff from the student government did not get any pay, and it revealed the limit of student autonomy. 

In May, PNU Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) recruited 18 operation staff members for Daedong-Je from three Colleges. The staff supported the EPC for three days, starting from 10 AM to 10 PM, for 12 hours.

However, after Daedong-Je finished, the staff complained about excessive workloads and unfair treatment. The things they got for supporting the festival were only lectured attendance certificate documents, one t-shirt, and a lunch box. In the orientation, administrating booths, advertising flyer distribution, and managing food trucks were things staff had to do, but there was more work than that. An anonymous staff A said, “EPC asked at least two people to help at the PNU MALL booth. Also, PNU Headquarters made us move heavy equipment for an hour.”

■ PNU Headquarters pays guards but….

The complaints from staff grew more after they realized that Daedong-Je student guards, who were employed by PNU Headquarters, got paid. The PNU Headquarters recruited guards to maintain order and accidents, and they provided lunch boxes and a salary of 10,000 won per hour. 

On May 20th, a post was uploaded on the PNU anonymous community “Everytime.” The post writer said, “Why do security guards, who only walked around and enjoyed the festivals, get paid 10,000 won per hour, and we, who worked hard to manage and run the event, work without pay?” Continually, the writer pointed out that the Daedong-Je budget should include the operating allowance for staff. 

Nevertheless, EPC argued that the payment of student staff does not fit the purpose. An anonymous EPC member said, “The tasks that can be specified are fixed, and the festival staffs themselves are the people in charge of helping the student council. Student staffs are employed by the student government, and PNU Headquarters employ student guards.”  

■Compensation for autonomous student activities should be expanded. 

After this controversy caught attention, the voice around compensation for autonomous student activities should be expanded, is getting louder. The post writer said, “It would have been better if only university Headquarters employed students and paid them all. I do not understand why only members of the student government must work as a volunteer.”

However, after the meeting with the student office (report of Channel PNU on April 28th), the EPC continues discussions with the student office to revitalize student autonomy activities. The EPC said, “We are discussing continually. To systematically prepare for the October festival, which will be held next semester, we are trying our best to come up with various measures so that autonomous student activities can be strengthened in the future.”

Reporter Kim Min-Sung

Translated by Yun Chae-Eun