A seemingly innocuous car sticker distributed by Seoul National University (SNU) to parents of its students has ignited a heated online debate. (Image courtesy of the Seoul National University Foundation)
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – A seemingly innocuous car sticker distributed by Seoul National University (SNU) to parents of its students has ignited a heated online debate, highlighting the tensions surrounding South Korea’s deeply entrenched academic hierarchy.
The stickers, emblazoned with phrases like “PROUD PARENT” and “SNU Family” alongside the university’s logo, have been criticized by some as a display of excessive academic elitism.
Critics argue that such paraphernalia perpetuates Korea’s obsession with educational pedigree, often referred to as “academic clanism.”
“It’s not the parents who attended SNU, it’s their children. This seems overly showy,” one online commenter noted.
Another added, “This phenomenon perfectly encapsulates Korea’s academic supremacism.”
However, defenders of the stickers point out that such merchandise is commonplace both in Korea and abroad.
“This is just one of many souvenirs universities sell. There’s no reason to view it strangely,” a supporter argued.
Others suggested that families have a right to feel pride in their children’s academic achievements.
The SNU Development Foundation, which has distributed approximately 2,100 sets of these stickers since January, maintains that the intent is to “strengthen a sense of belonging among SNU community members.”
A foundation spokesperson emphasized that the stickers are “not about superiority, but about fostering greater interest and community spirit among school members and their families.”
Indeed, similar items can be found at other prestigious Korean universities, including Korea University, Ewha Womans University, and Chung-Ang University, all of which offer comparable stickers to promote institutional affiliation.
The controversy has also sparked a cross-cultural comparison, with some observers noting that such family-oriented university merchandise is widespread in the United States.
Ivy League institutions like Harvard and Yale, as well as Stanford University, offer an array of products featuring “MOM,” “DAD,” and even “GRANDPA” and “GRANDMA” alongside university branding.
Yale University, in particular, extends its range to include items for siblings, uncles, and cousins of students.
T-shirts with “I am a Yale Student’s Cousin” written in Korean are available as official university merchandise, illustrating the breadth of family-oriented products in American academic culture.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
