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Seoul National University students call for reinstating Marxian economics courses

Published: 14 May. 2025, 10:08

The main gate to Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul [JOONGANG ILBO]

Students at Seoul National University (SNU) are calling on the school to reinstate Marxian economics courses that were canceled last fall, arguing that the removal of nonmainstream economics from the curriculum limits academic diversity.

A student group called Students for the Reinstatement of Marxian Economics at SNU (translated) held a press conference at the university’s central Acropolis Square on Friday. Formed last month, the group has so far gathered 2,494 signatures, including 427 from SNU students and faculty, in support of reopening Marxian economics courses.

Marxian economics has been taught at SNU since 1989, when the late professor Kim Soo-haeng, who died in 2015, joined the economics faculty after completing his doctorate at the University of London.

Kim's courses, centered on Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” (1867) — which Kim translated into Korean in full for the first time — and included "Marxian Economics," "Modern Marxian Economics." These were opened in the spring and fall semesters respectively. Another course, "Introduction to Political Economy," was opened every semester.

After Kim retired in 2008, lecturer Kang Sung-yoon continued teaching the courses. However, the department discontinued them last fall, citing “a lack of student interest and low demand for the lectures.”

Students for the Reinstatement of Marxian Economics at SNU members argue that the decision undermines students’ rights to study alternative economic theories and reflects an institutional bias.

“Students for the Reinstatement of Marxian Economics at Seoul National University″ hold a press conference in front of the university’s central Acropolis Square on May 9. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“The Department of Economics treats Marxian economics as fringe, reinforcing academic hierarchy,” the group said. The group also emphasized that demand from students for Marxian economics is actually high.

“The department said there was insufficient interest, but in reality, many students are eager to take these classes," said 22-year-old Kim Seon-ah, a sociology student who disagreed with the claim of low demand.

The "Marxian Economics" and "Modern Marxian Economics" courses each received 16 student requests, while "Introduction to Political Economy" received 21 — significantly more than requests for "Macroeconomic Theory" and "Econometrics," three and two, respectively, according to a course demand survey conducted in March for the 2025 summer session.

Nevertheless, the department only offered nine courses for the summer session, all in mainstream economics.

Late Seoul National University professor Kim Soo-haeng is seen during his departing lecture at the university [JOONGANG ILBO]

“We consider the demand for course openings not only based on the needs of students but also on various factors such as research achievements in the field,” said an SNU Department of Economics official. “There has been a continuous need to designate 'Econometrics,' which was opened in the summer semester, as a required major course. It is a subject that has seen a significant increase in research and education demand recently with the spread of AI."

Lecturer Kang criticized the decision: “In the case of seasonal courses like summer courses, students even pay extra tuition fees, but the opening of the courses wasn't granted. It raises concerns that Marxian economics is being deliberately excluded.”

The department responded that it is making efforts to promote academic diversity, including participation in SNU’s interdisciplinary majors like the open major program and the politics, philosophy and economics track.

A reprinted edition of late Seoul National University professor Kim Soo-haeng's translation of Karl Marx's ″Das Kapital″ [BBONG BOOKS]

Only a handful of universities in Korea currently offer Marxian or heterodox economics courses. A representative from a national university said that “due to declining interest since the 2000s,” their school discontinued such courses in 2020.

“To ensure students can explore diverse fields, universities must appoint full-time faculty in nonmainstream disciplines and provide consistent course offerings,” said Park Nam-ki, professor of pedagogy at Gwangju National University of Education.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]