Students at Women’s University Oppose Enrollment of Transgender Female

Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul. (image: Sookmyung Women’s University)

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Students at Sookmyung Women’s University are strongly opposing the recent decision by school authorities that a transgender female has been admitted to the university.

The transgender female, 22, received a sex change operation in Thailand last year and was reassigned a new gender by authorities before being admitted to Sookmyung Women’s University College of Law.

The news was soon met by a harsh response from student communities submitting complaints to school authorities and sending letters of protest to the school’s alumni association.

They said that the transgender female, who used to be a man in the previous year, being admitted to an institution created solely for women is unacceptable.

“Women’s universities were first established as spaces for women who have had fewer opportunities than men throughout their lives,” said one student, as she questioned the motives behind the transgender female’s admittance to the university.

Some students even demonstrated fear for their safety as they questioned the sexual identity of the transgender female, focusing on the fact that she used to be a man.

“A series of horrible incidents we had to go through makes it difficult for us to easily accept the situation,” said another student, referring to a previous case in which a drug dealer was found operating on the university campus, and illegal trespassing into women’s restrooms on campus by a man dressed up as a woman.

There are others, however, who argue that gender identity should not work as the basis for preventing a legally identified female student from joining the school community.

“I find that the revelation of her sexual past is similar to the recent case of Army staff sergeant Byun Hee-soo, who was forced to leave her post after receiving a sex change operation,” said Kim, 25, a student currently enrolled at the university.

“It is imperative for a mature society that we refrain from shunning or hating a certain sexual identity.”

School authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation.

“We understand the concerns, but she is legally recognized as a female and qualifies with all of our procedural requirements,” said a source from the school’s administration.

“She has yet to complete her registration, though. This is unprecedented. We don’t have any official stance on the issue for now.”

H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)