Latest news with #SeoulNationalUniversity
Memri
a day ago
- Politics
- Memri
The Weaponization Of 'Human Rights' – Silencing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Criticism In South Korea
By Truth Forum at Seoul National University* Recently, the Student Council of the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Seoul National University (SNU) labeled remarks critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), made by Professor A during a lecture, as "hate speech," and requested that the department convene a human rights committee. This action poses a serious threat to academic freedom. Moreover, it comes at a time when the CCP is advancing a covert and systematic infiltration not only in South Korea but across the globe. By ignoring this reality and targeting those who raise alarm, the student council has taken a position that is both ruinous and, frankly, traitorous. We issue this statement as a firm warning. The totalitarianism of the CCP, now sliding further into an oppressive surveillance state under Xi Jinping's dictatorship, is a matter of international concern. And yet, the student council has framed Professor A's criticism of the regime as "anti-China hate," thereby suppressing free expression under the guise of political correctness. (Source: The Mask of "Autonomy" and "Human Rights" The terms "autonomy" and "human rights" may evoke democratic ideals, but here they serve as linguistic camouflage to justify ideological conformity. History reminds us that even the Soviet Union cloaked its totalitarianism with the rhetoric of autonomy. The recent conduct of the SNU student council is a textbook case of ideological repression disguised in democratic language. While the CCP engages in organized surveillance, gross human rights violations, organ harvesting from political prisoners, dictatorship, and the cover-up of the lab origins of COVID-19, the student council remains shamefully silent. Instead, it chooses to attack a professor who dared to speak the truth. This is not just intellectual cowardice – it is collaboration with oppression. The CCP's use of the "United Front" strategy to infiltrate democratic societies is no secret. At SNU itself, there are known networks of Chinese students linked to the Chinese Embassy. The so-called Xi Jinping Research Archive on campus is emblematic of this infiltration. Some South Korean businessmen have even allegedly used admissions to SNU as a form of bribery to curry favor with CCP officials. And yet, the student council remains submissively silent on these matters while targeting internal voices of truth. Totalitarianism Disguised As Friendship – The CCP Is Not Our Friend While there are many Chinese individuals who seek friendship and freedom, the regime that deceives and exploits them cannot be considered our friend. The CCP, which seeks to dismantle the U.S.-Korea alliance and subsume Korea under its cultural and political influence through the Northeast Asia Project, is not a partner in peace – it is an adversary. We opened our markets and extended the hand of free trade, hoping democratic ideals would take root in China. But over the past 30 years, the CCP's ideology – rooted in Maoism and Han supremacy – has repelled liberty and threatened the world. To ignore this hard truth is to render the language of autonomy and human rights meaningless. SNU is home to a wide range of Chinese nationals. Some are CCP elites or their children, whiles others are future reformers who respect Korea's development and yearn for a freer China. We at Truth Forum stand with those Chinese students who oppose the CCP and aspire to build a democratic future. Seoul National University must not become a playground for Marxist ideology or CCP influence. What we need now is the courage to speak the truth, and the resolve to confront those who seek to silence it. End Totalitarianism In The Name Of Human Rights And Autonomy We understand that a human rights committee is scheduled to be convened. Should this committee be used to silence Professor A's legitimate critique under the false charge of hate, then it will have proven itself not a human rights body, but a People's Committee – a tool of ideological authoritarianism. To criticize the CCP is not hate – it is an act of moral conscience. We therefore call for an immediate end to this totalitarian censorship cloaked in the language of human rights and autonomy. For the sake of our beloved Korea and for the suffering people of China, we also strongly demand the immediate closure of the Xi Jinping Archive at Seoul National University. *Truth Forum at Seoul National University started as an intercollegiate organization that was born out of a sense of urgent crisis where false inflammatory politics have come to the point of undermining the very foundation of the Republic of Korea. Truth Forum acknowledges the proud history of the Republic of Korea's founding and economic growth which our forefathers have accomplished in toil and blood, while recognizing our remaining task to be the liberation of North Korea. For this task, the Truth Forum support a strong ROK-US alliance which was forged in shared values of freedom and truth.
The Review Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Spring of Youth – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review
Episode 8 Episode 8 of Spring of Youth begins with Bom coming across Tae-yang in a mall, surrounded by his fans. When she gets knocked down, he helps her up and even gives her some medicine. Later, Bom and the others head out for another gig. This one is at Seoul National University, where Two Sa Gye is performing as a surprise guest. When they're gone, Seung-su breaks into the house and steals the money he had given Sa Gye. Sa Gye and the others find out when they are back but Sa Gye reveals that he had set up a secret camera to record the thief — it was a trap. He's shocked to learn that it's Seung-su and goes to confront him. He then reveals that he and his mother lied to Seung-su when Sa Gye lost his sight. Seung-su was the one practising with Sa Gye when he got injured and they didn't want him to feel guilty. Now, Sa Gye tells Seung-su the truth, which crushes him. After the confrontation, Sa Gye buys some flowers and visits the columbarium where Bom's mother's remains are. Unbeknownst to him, Bom follows and watches him in secret. Meanwhile, Ji-na tells Tae-yang that he will soon be selected as the brand ambassador for H, a renowned clothing brand. She reveals that Min-cheol pulled a few strings to make it happen. Seung-su, having had a change of heart, goes to the office and adds the photograph of Min-cheol and little Tae-yang standing by the SUV to one of the news articles about Tae-yang (he had earlier removed this to hide the SUV). He then heads back to see Sa Gye and tries to atone by telling him about the car. Paired with the flashes from his dreams, Sa Gye realises Min-cheol was involved in the accident. The next morning, Sa Gye confronts Min-cheol about this as he's leaving for work. His reaction confirms the truth. Tae-yang intervenes and tells Sa Gye to leave his father alone. Min-cheol makes Tae-yang go to work, where he has received an invitation to visit Hanju University as part of his press lineup. Tae-yang asks Ji-na to organize that visit before everything else. Back home, Ja-young has an argument with Jin-gu and refuses to serve him fish. Gyu-ri takes some upstairs for him in secret and the two share a moment. When Sa Gye returns to the house, Bom tells him she knows he's hiding something but he brushes it off. At the hospital, things get worse for Min-cheol as a reporter has been looking into the death of the old woman whose surgery Min-cheol postponed. He then gets a call from the police station. Turns out, Sa Gye has given a report about witnessing a car accident from six years ago involving Min-cheol's car. Now, the detective asks Min-cheol to come in for questioning. Meanwhile, Ji-na tries to ask Tae-yang to go out for dinner with her but he is more focused on his visit to Hanju University. At university, Bom learns that Tae-yang is visiting and even planning on donating new equipment to their band. At the police station, the detective questions Seo Min-cheol. His lawyer soon gets him out and Min-cheol immediately meets with Jo Sang-heon. Sang-heon is livid when he realises Min-cheol gave the photo of the car to the reporter. They play the blame game and Min-cheol brings up his investment in Jo's company, ordering him to take care of the situation. Back at university, Bom convinces the others to be part of Tae-yang's visit to the college. Sa Gye hates the idea but ultimately caves in. As Bom walks through the town, the Christmas lights remind her of a memory with her mother. She reaches home and finds a postcard for Sa Gye from his mother, in which she mentions his loss of sight. At the end of Spring of Youth Episode 8, Bom realises that he received her mother's eyes in a transplant. Inside, Sa Gye has done up the whole place in Christmas lights. She reveals that she knows the truth and is happy that it was him. The Episode Review Spring of Youth Episode 8 keeps things moving! Seung-su's character has definitely become more fascinating in the last two episodes as he walks a moral grey area. His final confrontation with Sa Gye reveals that despite his actions, he does care about him. These events also offer a nice lead-up to Sa Gye learning that Min-cheol was involved in Bom's mother's death. Sa Gye's decision to tell the police that he witnessed the whole thing feels a tad reckless. But like with the secret camera and the suitcase, I'm hoping he has a plan up his sleeve. His relationship with Bom also takes a big step. She finally realises the truth about the organ transplant and it's done quite well. The emotional beats hit the spot, particularly with all those pretty Christmas lights around them. It is a shame we don't see the band perform more, though. It would also be nice to know if they have other songs apart from 'See You Later'. Overall, this one is a well-written, engaging episode that gears things up for the K-drama's final stretch! Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
SNU family doctor named as physician to president
Park Sang-min, professor of family medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, has been named the official physician to President Lee Jae-myung, Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Thursday. Kang said Park will practice Western medicine as Lee's physician. The presidential office has not unveiled the nomination of a personal doctor dedicated to Korean traditional medicine. The 50-year-old Park, who also heads the Health System Data Science Laboratory of Seoul National University's College of Medicine, has accompanied Lee's recent trip to Canada on the occasion of the Group of Seven summit, according to the presidential office. Seoul added that Park is not a full-time employee of the presidential office and will rather remain employed by Seoul National University Hospital.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Zyx Technology, Seoul National University sign MOU to support landscape design education
Zyx Technology, a Korean AI digital design platform company, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional System Engineering at Seoul National University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on June 10. The signing ceremony was held at the university's Seoul campus, with Vice Dean Heo Jin-hoe of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Zyx Technology Chairman Choi Jong-bok, and other key officials. As part of the agreement, Zyx Technology will donate 150 educational licenses per year of its flagship computer-aided design software, ZyxCAD, for three years. The software will be used to support coursework and research in landscape design, with the goal of enhancing practical design training for students. ZyxCAD is a general-purpose CAD program developed in Korea and listed in the national e-procurement system. It offers high compatibility with AutoCAD — supporting similar commands, shortcuts, file formats and LISP scripts — and features an intuitive interface with multi-CPU-based high-speed processing. The software also includes 'Works,' a utility suite with around 450 tools that streamline repetitive tasks and support complex design workflows. 'This collaboration with Seoul National University will be remembered as a meaningful case where Korea's top educational institution and domestic design software come together beyond the level of a single department,' said Zyx Technology Chairman Choi Jong-bok. 'We hope ZyxCAD will provide practical benefits to the department's advanced design education environment.' Vice Dean Heo Jin-hoe said ZyxCAD will enhance hands-on learning and serve as a model for industrial-academic collaboration.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
After Han Kang's Nobel win, forum to discuss expanding global reach of Korean literature
Following Han Kang's historic Nobel Prize in literature win last year, leading academics in translation and Korean studies, as well as translators from around the world, will gather in Seoul to explore new strategies for expanding Korean literature's reach. The Literature Translation Institute of Korea will host the 2025 LTI Korea Global Literature Forum on July 3-4 at Yonsei University, Han's alma mater. The forum, held under the theme 'Strategies for Fostering the Global Expansion of Korean Literature,' will bring together domestic and international experts to discuss long-term approaches for strengthening the global influence of Korean literary works. The two-day program is divided into a Research Session on July 3 and a Translation Session on July 4. Discussions will focus on the global reception of Korean literature since the Nobel win, current academic research trends and ways to enhance the literary translation ecosystem. Scholars and translators working in English, European and Asian language regions will contribute to the dialogue. The forum will open on July 3 with a keynote address by Kwon Young-min, professor emeritus at Seoul National University, who will reflect on the significance of the Nobel Prize for Korean literature and the challenges ahead for its continued international growth. This will be followed by a series of academic presentations and discussions featuring scholars from around the world, including Antonio J. Domenech (University of Malaga), Susan Hwang (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Grace Koh (SOAS University of London). On July 4, the Translation Session will spotlight the present and future of Korean literary translation. Renowned poet Kim Hye-soon and Jeffrey Yang, literary editor at New Directions, will open the day with a conversation on the meaning of Korean literature for international readers and the evolving role of translation. This will be followed by thematic discussions among active translators from across the globe, including Seon Lin Halbert and Janet Hong, on key topics such as translator education, the literary translation ecosystem and global support systems.
