The by-election for the 48th Student Union President at Sookmyung Women’s University was cancelled. Originally, the 48th Central Election Management Committee had set elections for last year; however, the election was called off due to the disqualification of FORWARD seonbon, which had been deemed ineligible because of election law violations. However, the byelection was also cancelled because no other party or individual registered as an official candidate. Park Hyunjin, Department of French Language and Culture '16, said “What a shame no one wanted to run for Student Union President. If Sookmyung had had a student union, students’ opinions on current issues on campus would have been conveyed more quickly.” Since the by-election was cancelled, an Emergency Planning Committee was formed to stand in for and act as president. Kim Sungeun, Emergency Planning Committee chairperson, said, “As far as I know, this is the first time ever that there is no Student Union at Sookmyung. This means my responsibility for Sookmyungians is huge. Because I am the students’ representative, I will rather step forward with responsibility than step behind. Although I am not an elected president, I promise to act responsibly as their representative.” Despite her determination, this unprecedented situation at Sookmyung Women’s University has caused many students to worry about their voice with the absence of a Student Union.
