Sookmyungians may have heard the word ‘polifessor’ (a compound of ‘politics’ and ‘professor’) at least once. Such professors generally affect us in a positive way, but sometimes they have bad effects on not only society but also our university.
Since June, the Sookmyungian internet board has seen heated debate about the reinstatement of one polifessor in Sookmyung Women’s University (SMU), Park Mi-seuk (Park). Park was the head of the Department of Social Policy in the early days of President Lee Myung-bak’s government. But Park was suspected of thesis plagiarism and illegal speculation in real estate. According to law, only farmers can purchase farmland. An Official of the Commission on the Ethics of Government said that although Park is not a farmer but a public official, she purchased farmland. Park and Cheongwadae repulsed both accusations strongly, but she resigned her position voluntarily. After her resignation, SMU agreed to bring her back as a professor in the Division of Family & Child Welfare.
Many Sookmyungians were strongly opposed to her reinstatement. One student said on the internet board that, “Park has dishonored our school, SMU. So I do not accept her reinstatement.” She also pointed a finger at SMU’s attitude. “I do not understand SMU’s attitude, either. Why did the school accept her? And why didn’t the school announce that fact to us? I think both of them, SMU and Park, are shameless.” A student in the Division of Family & Child Welfare said that, “I knew about her reinstatement through my lesson schedule. Her lecture is mandatory for students who go through the teacher training course. It infringes on students’ right of choice.”
Not only SMU, but Seoul National University and Korea University have also had trouble solving polifessor problems, because most schools don’t have any restrictions on polifessors.
The 40th Student Government, MUV, started a boycott ceremony by hanging banners which showed their negative view of her reinstatement in June, but the majority of banners were soon removed by the school. The President of MUV, Kim Se-Hee, said that “MUV thinks that Park’s reinstatement problem is directly connected with students’ rights of lecture choice, so we are focusing our activity on that problem.”
