Politicization of Student Spaces: Who Really Speaks for South Korea’s Youth?

With South Korea’s Constitutional Court preparing to rule on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, university campuses have become battlegrounds for opposing political forces. While pro-impeachment sentiment has been dominant among students, recent weeks have seen a surge in pro-Yoon demonstrations, many of which have been orchestrated with the involvement of external conservative groups and far-right influencers.

What began as a series of student-led discussions has evolved into a crisis, as politically motivated agitators force their way onto campuses, disrupting academic life and threatening student safety. Universities have long been centers of political engagement, but the escalating conflict, marked by intimidation, violence, and unauthorized intrusions, raises urgent concerns about the erosion of academic autonomy.

Spreading Controversies Across Major Universities

The wave of campus protests began in early February when students at Yonsei University held a pro-impeachment rally on February 10. Shortly after, on February 14, a pro-Yoon demonstration at Seoul National University (SNU) drew widespread attention, largely due to the participation of non-students, including conservative activists and far-right YouTubers. The presence of external agitators led SNU officials to review campus security policies to prevent further outside interference.

Rival groups clashed on SNU’s campus, reflecting a growing ideological divide among students. While anti-impeachment declarations gained visibility at universities such as Sogang University and Hanyang University, concerns about the authenticity of these movements persisted. Reports indicated that some pro-Yoon organizers required students to verify their status by submitting photos of student IDs and writing "eradicate communism" on a note. These actions fueled suspicions that the pro-Yoon rallies were less about organic student discourse and more about an externally coordinated political campaign.

The First Major Confrontation

On February 21, Korea University became the first institution to experience a physical altercation over impeachment-related protests. A pro-impeachment rally at the university’s Democracy Plaza was met with hostility when a man physically blocked and confronted students, leading to a scuffle. This incident set the stage for escalating tensions across campuses, as it became clear that impeachment-related protests would not remain confined to student-led discourse.

At Korea University, a group identifying as "Korea University Students for the Protection of Liberal Democracy" was met with a counter-protest by impeachment supporters. With both groups determined to claim the same space, university officials heightened security measures and coordinated with Seongbuk-gu police to prevent violence. While the scale of student participation in these movements remained uncertain, the increasing involvement of non-students in campus protests raised concerns about the legitimacy of the pro-Yoon movement.

A Flashpoint of National Attention

The political turbulence that had unfolded at Korea University intensified dramatically at Ewha Womans University. What began as a student-led discussion on impeachment turned into an all-out confrontation when conservative activists, far-right YouTubers, and other pro-Yoon supporters stormed the campus gates.

The intrusion was marked by aggressive intimidation tactics. Pro-impeachment students displayed banners reading, “How can you defend a coup at an open university?” while anti-impeachment activists attempted to tear them down. A student was harassed and ordered to show her ID while being questioned about her nationality. Some far-right agitators even attempted to ram the university gates with a car. Ewha officials, though initially hesitant to involve the police, were eventually forced to do so as the situation spiraled out of control. The presence of non-student agitators fundamentally shifted the focus from student-led discourse to external political interference.

The Expansion of Political Mobilization

At Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), the impeachment debate took on a different form. On an online campus forum, four students publicly opposed impeachment and attached signed enrollment certificates to verify their student identities. Their statement accused the Democratic Party and the Constitutional Court of driving an unlawful impeachment process, urging fellow students to sign a petition in support of Yoon.

While their actions sparked discussion, they also raised questions about the broader trend of politically motivated messaging surfacing across multiple universities. The increasing frequency of such movements suggests that what began as organic student discourse is now evolving into a coordinated campaign, backed by conservative networks seeking to bolster Yoon’s legitimacy ahead of the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

By late February, tensions had spread beyond the capital, reaching regional universities such as Chosun University in Gwangju. While the university emphasized that only enrolled students could hold rallies on campus, officials acknowledged concerns that outside political groups might attempt to infiltrate protests. Similar warnings were issued by administrators at Konkuk University and Sogang University, both of which restricted access to outsiders to maintain order.

Despite these efforts, the March 1 nationwide gathering of the "Freedom Protection University Solidarity" coalition, composed of more than 30 university associations, signals a turning point. What was once a scattered series of demonstrations has now coalesced into a full-scale movement, mobilizing students and external actors alike in the name of “defending liberal democracy.”

The Future of Campus Integrity

The escalating political conflict on South Korean campuses raises critical questions about the future of university autonomy. While student activism has historically played a vital role in shaping the country’s political landscape, the increasing involvement of external groups threatens to distort the very nature of student-led discourse.

Universities must reaffirm their commitment to preserving academic integrity and ensuring students’ safety and well-being by enforcing strict policies against outside interference. Institutions such as Korea University and Ewha have already taken steps to restrict campus access, but stronger measures may be necessary to prevent politically motivated groups from using student movements as a vehicle for their own agendas.

At its core, this is not merely a dispute over impeachment; it is a battle over the independence of learning spaces. If universities fail to uphold their autonomy, they risk becoming mere extensions of the country’s polarized political landscape. The echoes of past student movements, from the democracy protests of the 1980s to the more recent demonstrations against government corruption, remind us that campuses have long been arenas of ideological struggle.

However, today’s students face a new challenge: not only must they defend their political beliefs, but they must also protect the very institutions that enable free thought and democratic engagement while upholding the core mission of higher education as a safe space for learning. Whether they succeed in doing so will shape the future of student activism and the integrity of South Korea’s higher education system for years to come.