Dongduk Women's University to start accepting men in 2029
Published: 03 Dec. 2025, 17:44
Updated: 03 Dec. 2025, 17:56
![Dongduk Women’s University campus in central Seoul [DONGDUK WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/03/5bbe2cdc-f17e-4eb4-8240-50976946633a.jpg)
Dongduk Women’s University campus in central Seoul [DONGDUK WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY]
Dongduk Women’s University will convert to a coeducational system in 2029, a decision that follows months of deliberation and continued student opposition.
Kim Myung-ae, the university president, announced in a statement on Wednesday that the school plans to accept a recommendation issued by its coeducation deliberation committee a day earlier.
“The [committee's] recommendation represents a collective and responsible decision for the university’s future, following discussions with professors, students, staff and alumni since June,” she said. “The university has taken current students' opposition and concern seriously, but a majority supported coeducation during the deliberation process.
“We fully understand your [students'] pride in the values and traditions the university has built as an institution for women, and we deeply relate to the concerns you feel during this transition. The university plans to begin the transition in 2029, when all current students will have graduated, so that you can experience the single-sex academic environment that you expected when you enrolled for as long as possible.”
The university will finalize the plan after further procedures, including information sessions for students and reviews by the university development committee, faculty council and university senate (translated). It plans to hold an additional briefing on the transition later this month.
The coeducation deliberation committee announced in a statement posted on the school’s website on Tuesday that it “recommends transitioning to a coeducational system.”
“More participants supported [the school] transitioning to a coeducational institution than remaining a women’s university,” the committee said, citing results from forums, town hall meetings and an online survey.
Students, however, continue to oppose the decision. The council began a campus-wide vote on coeducation on Wednesday, as it claims that the committee does not reflect current students' opinions, despite them comprising the largest demographic at the university.
Dongduk Women’s University faced heavy controversy in November last year when students protested an earlier push for coeducation by occupying the main building and spray painting facilities on campus.
After tensions eased, the university and students agreed to form the coeducation deliberation committee and continue discussing the issue.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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