Korean Lecturers Protest Low Pay and Shoddy Treatment

One morning recently, throngs of workers were rushing to their offices on the slippery road. But amidst them was a white-haired couple taking down a rain-soaked green-colored camping tent to dry it in the morning sunshine, alongside other rain-soaked supplies.

They were not homeless people but “professors” who have taught Chinese history and Korean labor history until recently at Korean universities.

But since last September they’ve spent hundred of nights in a worn-out tent near the National Assembly in Yeouido, urging the government to give the same status as full-time professors to part-time lecturers and to improve other working conditions including job security and salary.

“In Korean universities, part-time lecturers are no more than day laborers,” Kim Dong-ay, 61, a former full-time lecturer at a Seoul university and an executive of a temporary educators’ union, told The Korea Times. “More than 70,000 part-time lecturers nationwide are being exploited without official labor contracts. Most of them earn less then 10 million won ($10,000) a year.” They teach 40 percent of classes at universities. Since their status was downgraded 34 years ago under the Park Chung-hee regime, they have been unable to enjoy basic benefits such as pensions and medical insurance.”

The two started the street demonstration on September 7, 2007 when a bill designed by the three major political parties ― the Grand National Party, the Democratic Labor Party and the now-defunct Uri Party ― to notably improve lecturers’ working conditions was under examination by the National Assembly’s education committee. Initially, more than 30 temporary educators took part in the demonstration with the hope of pressing the parties to pass the bill. But it is still pending.

Most participants left the site when the spring semester commenced March 1 and now only five former and incumbent lecturers are continuing the protest.

“Part-time lecturers do not fill out labor contracts. Receiving a phone call from one’s school during a vacation means he or she has classes next semester. While waiting for the un-guaranteed call, we feel strong shame and anger. We receive low payment and lack job security,” Kim said.

Part-time lecturers have served a significant role in Korean university education.

According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 2004, more than 55 percent of all liberal arts and 31 percent of other classes were taught by part-time lecturers.

Kim’s foremost request is a legal guarantee of part-time lecturers’ status and the same status as full-time professors.

“Under the current law, part-time lecturers have no rights to teach and evaluate students. But we have done this work for decades `thanks to’ authorities overlooking these wrongdoings,” she said. “Once granted our status, we plan to sit at the negotiation table with school authorities to further enhance our working conditions, including wages.”

In June 2004, NHRC called on universities to weed out discriminatory policies against temporary educators. In addition, the Supreme Court ruled in April 2007 that part-time lecturers must have the same administrational status as full-time professors.

Nonetheless, she said there was no change because lecturers were unassertive. “If anyone complains, he or she will be fired,” said Kim.

Han Kyeong-seon, 44, a former part-time lecturer at a Seoul university, killed herself in Texas last February 27, leaving a note filled with complaints about Korean universities’ treatment of temporary educators.

Reportedly, she was a witness for a litigant colleague against school authorities. Following the trial, Han was fired without explanation.

Apart from that case, two part-time lecturers at Seoul National University committed suicide in 2003 and 2006, respectively, for similar reasons.

The former Chinese history lecturer said she would not stop protesting until the pending bill is passed.

“I will go to all lengths to win our long-cherished goal,” Kim said, who plans to start a single person demonstration in front of offices of education policy-makers nationwide and Cheong Wae Dae.