Home > National > Social Affairs

Dorm eviction notice showing nationality sparks xenophobia accusations at Soongsil University

Published: 16 Dec. 2025, 10:22

A notice put up on a Soongsil University campus dormitory on Dec. 8, 2025, criticized for invoking xenophobia by including unnecessary information about students' nationality [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A disciplinary notice posted by Soongsil University identifying the nationalities of students evicted from a dormitory for smoking indoors has sparked accusations of xenophobia.

A notice was put up on Dec. 8, stating that two students had been evicted from the dormitory for violating a smoking ban. According to dormitory rules, students found smoking indoors on two occasions face immediate expulsion. The notice listed the students' gender, room number and reason for the disciplinary action — along with their nationality, which was specified as Chinese.

On the university's anonymous student message board on the Everytime app, some criticized the school for inflaming anti-Chinese sentiment by disclosing the students' nationality. They argued that most schools redact personal details in similar announcements, while Soongsil’s choice to reveal nationality risks fostering division among students.

Others defended the practice, claiming that the school discloses nationality in all disciplinary cases regardless of country, and that the opposition is excessive.

The notice has since been taken down after its posting period ended.

"We’ve always included nationality in disciplinary notices, and there hasn’t been an issue before," a university official told local press. "Even in cases involving Korean students, we’ve noted nationality.”

In October, a notice concerning a student evicted for using flammable materials inside a building included the nationality as “Republic of Korea.”

Still, the official acknowledged the issue, saying the posting of the notice “was not a prudent decision,” and pledged that future notices would include only information directly related to the disciplinary action.

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 SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]