The Faculty Council (FC) of Pusan National University (PNU) has postponed the discussions on granting part-time lecturers the right to vote for PNU president until the next election. This means that lecturers will not be given voting rights in this year’s presidential election.

To sum up the reports by “Channel PNU” on November 23rd, during the 9th FC meeting held on November 15th in the academic affairs conference room on the 6th floor of main administration building, the agenda included a discussion on “A request for deliberation on the granting of the right to vote for the president by the PNU part-time lecturers” The PNU branch of the Korean Irregular Professor Union (KIPU) issued two statements on September 7th and 12th calling for the guarantee of the lecturer’s right to vote for president. On September 26th, the part-time lecturers maintained a hard position, issuing a statement condemning the opinion of the faculty that the part-time lecturers have no right to vote (reported by “Channel PNU” on September 15th, 2023).

On November 23rd, the FC decided to postpone discussions on granting voting rights to part-time lecturers in the presidential election until after the upcoming presidential election. The council maintained its previous stance, citing reasons such as a lack of consensus among the PNU members on granting voting rights to part-time lecturers in the election of the PNU president. According to the minutes of the 9th FC meeting, the faculty council decided not to deliberate further, saying, “It is difficult to reflect the lecturer’s right to vote for president in this election, and it will take a lot of discussion through public debate until the next election.”

The PNU Branch of the KIPU is currently considering its response to the faculty council's announcement. First of all, it is in the position to cooperate with other national and public universities, which are holding presidential elections, communicating with the KIPU. Kim Jae-Gyeong (Chairman, PNU Branch of the KIPU) said, “We are also devastated with the FC’s decision. We will continue our efforts to secure voting rights by collaborating with other national universities.” 

On the day of the council meeting, the PNU Branch of the KIPU held a demonstration urging the guarantee of voting rights for part-time lecturers. It has been four years since 2019, when the hunger strike for the right to vote for the president was carried out during the amendment of the election regulations for the 21st candidate president. At the main administration building, while the council was in progress, they put up the picket saying, “Guarantee the right to vote for the part-time lecturers as part of the faculty.” Park Joong-Yeol (Chairman, KIPU), who took part in the protest, said, “If some have the right to vote for president and others don’t have the right to vote for president depending on whether they are regular and irregular workers, it is discrimination against non-regular workers. The right to vote for president is the core of democracy and democracy can only be realized when all university members participate.”

The KIPU also urged the General Students’ Association (GSA) to join in securing the right to vote for part-time lecturers. Chairman Park said, “PNU GSA has played a brilliant role in leading university democracy. It’s really great that they’ve reached an agreement on student suffrage, but it’s also necessary to look at whether there are any blind spots within PNU.” 

The demand for the right to vote for the president by the part-time lecturers was made in earnest with the announcement of the amendment proposal for the election of candidates for the 21st presidential election. Since the regulation does not stipulate the right of part-time lecturers to vote for president, the part-time lecturers protested against it, claiming that “The part-time lecturers are legally accepted members of faculty.” At that time, more than half of the participants opposed the granting of voting rights to the part-time lecturers in the election for the president, resulting in its rejection.

Reporter You Seung-Hyun

Translated by Lim Chae-Kyung