Seoul National University (SNU) has announced the establishment of a new department, the Advanced Convergence Department, to cultivate advanced interdisciplinary talents from those enrolling in the 2024 academic year. The department consists of five majors: Next-Generation Intelligent Semiconductor, Sustainable Technology, Innovative New Medicine, Digital Healthcare and Data Science. This move will result in an increase in student enrollment by 218 starting next year, according to a 2023 interview with the College of Engineering Student Council. The adjustment to the enrollment quota was made possible by the South Korean government’s decision in August 2022 to lift quota regulations for universities to foster independent innovation and train talents in crucial domestic industries like semiconductors. According to SNU, this is the first undergraduate quota expansion since the early 1990s. SNU’s enrollment initially almost doubled from 3,300 to 6,500 students in 1981 after the introduction of the graduation quota system, but has since steadily decreased to 3,233 this year, except for a small increase in 1992. As such, this increase in the admission quota is quite an unusual event. Background of the establishmentSo why is the university establishing this new department? In the past few years, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have repeatedly approached SNU with the proposal to create a “contract department for semiconductors,” and the parties involved have had numerous discussions on this matter. Here, a “contract department” refers to a department in which students are guaranteed employment at a specific company after graduation and receive full tuition and financial assistance while in school, but in return, they must follow an educational program to develop the skills desired by the sponsored company. SNU was the first to receive this request for the establishment of a semiconductor contract department, in line with the government’s initiative to cultivate non-memory semiconductor chips. However, this talk was met with opposition from within the university as some believed that training talents for specific fields and companies go against the spirit of a national university like SNU. Nonetheless, on the back of constant requests, SNU submitted a proposal in January to establish a System Semiconductor Engineering major, with an enrollment quota of 57, within the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering in the College of Engineering. Eventually, SNU decided on the establishment of the Advanced Convergence Department, after the Ministry of Education requested revisions to the proposal. Thus, on 27 April, the Ministry of Education announced the allocation of enrollment quotas for general universities in advanced fields and healthcare fields for the 2024 academic year, including the establishment of the “Advanced Convergence Department” at SNU and the aforesaid five majors of the department. The specific plans for each department's educational program are yet to be determined. Interview with the PresidentPresident of Seoul National University Ryu Hong-lim told SNU Quill that the establishment of this new department represents the development of national-level initiatives to foster future convergent talent and create a model for talent education. According to Yoo, “Humanities and social science professors will also participate in education for the Advanced Convergence Department, beyond sharing the College of Engineering, and the major will be jointly developed by several colleges. ”Mixed Reaction from within the campusHowever, SNU’s announcement of its plan to establish a new department called “Advanced Convergence Department” has been met with mixed reactions from within the campus. While some faculty members and students have welcomed the move, others have expressed concerns about the potential impact on existing departments and programs. Those who support the establishment of the new department argue that it is a necessary response to the changing needs of the workforce and the increasing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the era of rapid technological advancements. They also point out that the department could serve as a platform for the university to strengthen its research capabilities and compete with other leading universities in the world. However, some faculty members and students have raised concerns about the potential repercussions. They worry that the new department may attract funding and resources that could have been allocated to other departments, potentially weakening their research capabilities and educational quality. Additionally, some have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the new department in achieving its stated goals, citing the challenges of truly integrating disparate fields into a cohesive educational program. Looking deep into students’ concernEven though more than 200 undergraduate freshmen will take the entrance exam later this year and enter the university’s program next year, the specific plan for operating the undergraduate program has not been finalized, raising concerns within the university that other departments may be affected. There are concerns about how to coordinate with the College of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences, which have similar educational programs, over the allocation of personnel and facilities for education. For instance, the “Next-generation Intelligent Semiconductor” major may overlap with the curriculum of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; the “Sustainable Technology” major may overlap with the curriculum of the College of Engineering; the “Innovative New Medicine” major may overlap with the curriculum of the Department of Life Sciences, and there is a possibility that the “Digital Healthcare” major may overlap with the curricula of both the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering and the Department of Life Sciences. As a result of this overlap in educational programs, there are issues that need to be addressed quickly before the establishment of the college, such as the lack of of professors and staff to be assigned to the Department of Advanced Convergence, the scarcity of classroom space and infrastructure, and a consideration for existing departments in the College of Engineering. Consequently, many students at SNU, including those in the College of Engineering, have raised questions concerning the dearth of specific discussions and explanations regarding these matters. As a response, the Student Council of the College of Engineering has held talks with SNU’s Academic Support team. The university has responded that “the Department of Advanced Convergence is not being created within the College of Engineering or as a part of the College of Education” and that “there are no plans to use facilities in the College of Engineering. ” Despite this, no clarification has been provided regarding the size of the faculty or staff, classroom space, or detailed plans. However, due to the lack of time and the nature of the program, people predict that current professors in College in Engineering may be required to open additional courses or to be transferred to the Department of Advanced Convergence. As such, the atmosphere within the university remains uncertain, and concerns among its members continue to be expressed. Is expanding the quota and making a new department the best solution?Seoul National University’s expansion of its enrollment capacity is in line with the government’s commitment to fostering talent in advanced fields. However, is expanding enrollment capacity the best solution for addressing the shortage of personnel in advanced engineering fields? If the enrollment quotas for related departments are expanded, will there be enough research personnel in advanced engineering fields?(1) Creating a new departmentAs a student who has studied Biosystem Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering for 5 years, I think the research areas under the proposed majors can be covered and researched sufficiently in pre-existing majors. If there is a high demand for a particular field, I believe the priority should be to expand support and recruitment for existing departments and to increase support for research labs related to the field. Existing majors have been developing their curriculum for decades, and professors have been working hard on research. Therefore, I think that progress in the relevant field can be achieved by supporting existing departments rather than creating a new major which has the potential to bring a conflict of interest. In addition, I think that sufficient domain knowledge is necessary for the field of “convergence”, and that convergence without substance is nothing more than superficial learning. For that reason, I believe that traditional subjects should remain as they are in undergraduate courses, and that convergence studies are more suited to graduate-level programs. Thus, it remains to be seen whether the newly established “convergence” majors can provide education that truly enhances students' skills. (2) Expanding the quotaBefore creating the new department at SNU, the government has created semiconductor contract departments in 10 other universities—including Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology and Yonsei University—to train talents in the semiconductor field. However, in the last year, the dropout rate for registered students in the semiconductor contract department was 155. 3% higher than the number of students recruited. Most of these students ended up pursuing medical studies such as medicine or pharmacy. In addition, 28. 8% of students who were admitted this year to SNU ultimately gave up their spots, and many of them also chose to pursue medicine. This means that top-performing students are no longer as interested in pursuing engineering careers as they are in becoming doctors. Moreover, the increasingly severe concentration of medical students indicates that beyond the issue of imbalanced human resources, the vitality of society has declined because people have become reluctant to take on challenges and fear failure. In other words, even if new departments such as the Advanced Convergence Sciences Department are established, if students lack internal motivation to work in engineering fields, external rewards to support that motivation, and a social atmosphere that fosters challenges, improving engineering talent will remain a distant dream. The establishment of relevant departments is an abstract and localized solution, and it is difficult to consider it a fundamental solution, as it alone cannot change the career choices of students who are making life-changing decisions. The admissions process for the new department will begin this September. Since the establishment of the department has already been decided, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare facilities and educational programs within the school so that newly admitted students can receive good education and to prevent chaos due to the increasing capacity. In addition, to ensure that the establishment of a new department has the desired effect of fostering talent in the Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) field, fundamental solutions such as providing appropriate and sufficient rewards for students in the STEM field to maintain their passion for research are needed.

In August 2022, I flew to Seoul for my exchange year at Seoul National University (SNU). I was full of excitement and nervousness—I was moving across the globe to a country I had never been to, where I did not know the language or anyone there. Yet, these nerves quickly subsided when I arrived and made connections with amazing people who made Seoul feel like home almost immediately. Part of the reason for that was SNU Buddy—the organization on campus that pairs exchange students with Korean students at SNU and hosts different events throughout the semester for exchange students to get to know SNU and by extension, South Korea. From visiting landmarks, such as Namsan Tower and Gyeongbokgung, to eating group dinners at Gwangjang market and Korean barbeque spots, to taking trips such as temple stays and Membership Training events (MTs), the SNU Buddy programme truly gives you the full experience of exploring Korea. As a buddy (a fulltime student at SNU that helps out exchange students), you can meet people from all around the world. It has been a major part of my year at SNU, so I thought—for those who may not know about it—to introduce it by interviewing two buddies, Donghyeok and Jihee. The organization works as follows—when exchange students sign up, they can peruse the uploaded buddy profiles on the sign up system and pick a personal buddy on a first-come-first-served basis. Each Korean buddy is assigned a handful of exchange students and they proceed to form a small buddy group. Then, several of these small personal buddy groups are put together into bigger groups that are assigned a specific arbitrary number—last semester, I was in group 1, and this semester I am in group 8. These groups do various activities together, and for certain occasions, all groups do activities together, including the weekly pub, the MT, the Olympics, the Amazing Race, and more. So, there are several layers to the SNU Buddy organization, and aside from being buddies, the Korean buddies also work in one of the four teams which organize the different events. As for my personal highlight in my two semesters in SNU Buddy, the weekly pub was by far my favorite event. Not only has it taken place around the corner from my house, but it has also always been a weekly event to look forward to. You play drinking games, see your friends, and always have the possibility of meeting new people since there are so many members in the organization. The nights have often ended with karaoke or getting some food, so it is always a good time. Other highlights for me have been the temple stay and definitely the MT. For the temple stay, we stayed overnight at Guinsa temple, experienced what it is like to live there as a monk, and learned a lot about Buddhism and Buddhist rituals and customs. As for the MT, it was very fun as it marked the end of the semester, with all buddy groups coming together to play different games, drink and eat Korean barbecue. Now onto the interview: I am interviewing Donghyeok and Jihee, two Korean buddies partaking in SNU Buddy. Donghyeok is a group 8 buddy; he is a classical composition major in the College of Music and is in his 5th semester at SNU. Jihee is the team leader of group 8 – she is in her 3rd semester at SNU and majors in computer science and engineering. Q: What is SNU Buddy? Donghyeok: SNU Buddy is a volunteer non-profit organization. We help foreign exchange students adjust to life at SNU and life in Korea through different events and activities. Jihee: SNU Buddy is a student body affiliated with the Office of International Affairs (OIA) of Seoul National University. It started in 2005 as an organization called "Foreign Student Helper" under the Foreign Cooperation Headquarters, but in 2009, it was converted to the current student autonomy system "SNU buddy" and is operated by student management. Q: How long have you been a member, and why did you join SNU? Donghyeok: I joined SNU Buddy in the first semester of last year (2022). So, this semester is now my third semester with SNU Buddy. I joined SNU Buddy because I had a friend who was in SNU Buddy before me, and he told me to join because it would be really fun. So I wrote my application, sent it to SNU Buddy during the recruiting period, had an interview and then officially joined! I also wanted to improve my English skills and thought it would be fun to meet foreign exchange students. Now my English has improved very much, and I have many exchange student friends!Jihee: SNU buddy recruits its members every semester and this is my first semester joining SNU buddy! As to why I joined SNU buddy, it’s a personal story — but last semester I was in the taekwondo club of SNU and met many foreign students. It was my first time encountering so many foreigners. Having such long and meaningful conversations in English was a big deal to me. I had never had the chance to exchange opinions and thoughts, and just get to know people who were raised in different environments than those already around me. I had such a great time in the taekwondo club, and one of the members told me about SNU Buddy and recommended me to join. So, after that semester I decided to join, and here I am! I am so grateful that I made a move out of my comfort zone. I literally just created a new comfort zone — SNU buddy means that much to me. It is full of opportunities to interact with so many amazing people from various backgrounds. Q: In SNU Buddy, you have the buddy groups, which consist of exchange students and Korean buddies, and also different teams, which organize the activities throughout the semester. What different roles have you had experience with in SNU Buddy, and which one has been your favorite?Donghyeok: So, there are teams and Buddy groups. When it comes to the teams, there are four teams in total: the entertainment team, the leisure and sports team, the planning team and the cultural exchange team. In addition to being a buddy each semester, I have only ever been in the entertainment team. During my first semester at SNU Buddy, I was a junior member of the entertainment team. In my second semester, I was a senior member, and now I am very experienced, so I can help the team leader or give advice to other team members. Jihee: Since this is my first semester in SNU buddy, I can’t tell you about various semester experiences, but I am now taking on the role of group leader. It means so much to me. It’s not just the responsibility, but the group leader position itself that gives me a higher sense of belonging. Q: I know the Office of International Affairs promotes the organization to all exchange students (who have to fill out a form to join) but what is the promotion and application process like for a buddy? Donghyeok: When I first joined SNU Buddy, I had to fill out an application. The executives then check applications and make their first picks. In the second round, there is an interview where you are asked different questions about your motivations to join SNU Buddy. They also always ask some English questions to test your English level, but it is not the most important thing. After the interview, they then pick the buddies!Jihee: You submit the application form that includes questions such as ‘what is your motive to join,’ ‘what do you love to do’…etc. If you pass the first stage, you get an interview and if you pass the second stage as well you get recruited! This happens before the start of each semester, and you begin the matching between Korean buddies and foreign buddies after that. Q: What have been your favorite experiences at SNU Buddy? Donghyeok: I have had so many good experiences with SNU Buddy, so I will mention one per semester. During the first semester, my favorite event was SNU Superstar, where I performed and played the piano. That was the starting point to really enjoying SNU Buddy for me. After that, I got very involved and made many foreign exchange student friends. Since then, my English skills have improved very much. In the second semester, SNU Buddy Olympics was my favorite event. I played almost every game - it was hard but very fun. And this semester, I am really enjoying everything! I feel very happy to be part of SNU Buddy. Jihee: Definitely the people. I never would have met them anywhere else. Such precious relationships! Q: If you had to pick just one favorite SNU Buddy event, what would it be? Donghyeok: Only one thing? I would say the weekly pub. It is a great chance to meet everyone involved in SNU Buddy. We can drink, play games and talk, which is so nice. But I also would say the SNU Buddy Olympics. During the Olympics you create teams and can play sports together, so I really have enjoyed every Olympics. Jihee: Pub night. I really like all the activities like doing sports, or just going out to eat — but pub night gives us the opportunity to talk to each other in a more comfortable environment. As I mentioned above, my favorite thing about SNU Buddy is that there are several opportunities to interact with people from various backgrounds. Q: Why should students partake in SNU Buddy, and what are the benefits? Donghyeok: So, first of all, you can massively improve your English skills by joining SNU Buddy. You can also meet students from around the world and do language exchanges! This semester, for example, I put on my profile that I want to study German, so if there are any German students coming to SNU this semester, they can join my group, and we can practice together. That is how I made one of my friends this semester. Overall, you meet people from around the world, learn about their culture, and can get any advice on going to other countries if you want to go on exchange yourself one day! Besides that, you also meet really nice Korean buddies. Everyone is very nice and fun to be around. So, the benefit is really that you meet so many amazing people! Jihee: It’s just a whole different type of experience, like a frog inside a well. You can always talk to people within your own department, Koreans, and enjoy the culture you are used to, but you’ll never know what people from other countries think about, like to do, and feel. To me, I wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to make memories and be more open to the world around me. So, as you can see from Donghyeok’s experiences, Jihee’s experiences, and mine, SNU Buddy truly is an amazing programme to partake in, both as an exchange student and as an SNU student. I will always remember it as having been an integral part of my exchange year in Seoul and am grateful to all the people I have met from it, including Donghyeok and Jihee. If you have any questions about the SNU Buddy programme, do not hesitate to contact SNU Buddy on Instagram @snubuddyofficial.

Being confronted by individuals who ask about your religion and knowledge about the bible is not a rare experience – especially on our school grounds. But who are these people? Where do they come from? And most importantly, why are they doing it? Proselytisation (more commonly known in Korean as ‘노방 전도(nobang jeondŏ)’) – originates from the word stranger or newcomer in Greek. It is a term that describes the process of “induc[ing] someone to convert to one’s faith”, or “recruiting someone to join one’s party, institution, or cause. ”However, people are actively trying to avoid proselytism – especially in this era of individual thought and freedom. In truth, proselytism has been made illegal in many east Asian/ Pacific countries, the Near East, and South/ Central Asian countries. And although it is allowed in some countries, other countries tend to have strict regulations for proselytisation. Some religious leaders have even openly condemned the act. For example, in 2013, Pope Francis mentioned that “proselytism is solemn nonsense”, that “it does not make sense” and that evangelisation should be placed higher on the list. The differences between evangelism and proselytism will be explored later in the article. Although there are other religions that proselytise, this article will focus mostly on the relationship between Christianity and proselytisation, as many of the people who proselytise on campus are from Christian groups. Interpretations of the biblical verse “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15 NIV) will also be explored. Proselytisation in Korea, however, has developed an especially unhealthy reputation, as the methods of proselytisation are seen as forceful, and because the conversations are mostly one-sided and overly forceful. Furthermore, the unhealthy reputation of proselytisation in Korea has further developed because of cults and unverified Christian sects – which is why understanding the presence of existing cults in Korea is pivotal when viewing Christianity and proselytisation. Before we dive deeper into proselytisation on campus, a clear distinction needs to be made between Christianity and cults (more commonly known in Korean as eedan’ or saibi’ – as these cults also practise proselytisation in Korea. According to Askanydifference. com, the primary difference between a religion and a cult is that while a religion is “a particular system of belief/worship, often consisting of a code of philosophy and ethics” while a cult is a “small group” with “unique beliefs or socially deviant practices. ” The presence of these cults in Korea arose through many problematic political issues in the past. The Diplomat has referred to these cults in an article as “an obscure Christian sect widely described as a cult [dominating] the news in South Korea,” and according to Today regarding one of those issues, South Korea “has [proven to be] fertile grounds for cults to flourish. ” The recent spread of the Coronavirus has also played a role in exposing these cults, creating more alertness when it comes to religious groups. Many of these cults are derived from “Christian sects”, and because these cults actively practise proselytisation, differentiating clearly between Christianity and cults is pivotal in understanding the relationship between Christianity and proselytization. While many cults seem harmless, they are fundamentally based on brainwashing, gaslighting and lead to different forms of abuse in most cases. Furthermore, it needs to be understood that discerning the differences between actual Christians and these cult-like “Christian sects” becomes extremely difficult, especially from a non-Christian viewpoint. To worsen the situation, according to Today, “there’s no reliable data on how many cults currently exist in South Korea, but there are a large number of fringe churches and groups. ” It becomes very difficult identifying cults, especially through simply looking at adherents, which makes it extremely easy for one to automatically assume that people who proselytise on campus have been sent by these cults. Although not all people on campus who try to “spread the good word” are from cults, the recent surge of ‘cult awareness’ clearly shows the limitations of proselytisation. Originally, proselytisation was a revered act of innocent faith that was never ‘wrong’. However, the infamous history of proselytisation being used by various rising cults and sects has made it a difficult era for Christians today to proselytise. It is also the rise of the importance of individual thought and freedom that has made proselytisation into something that is ‘forceful’, as religion is something that is personal and something that ties in closely with culture and identity. Given the above situations, I personally find myself avoiding people who proselytise, even as a Christian. I have been proselytised at many times during my first semester at school, and while not all the proselytisers were from cults, the possibility that they were part of such cults was always lurking in my mind (and I have been confronted by a few sketchy people). Adding onto this, I have experiences where a proselytiser would persistently follow me a long way, right to the entrance of my lecture class, even when I told them I was feeling uncomfortable. And upon asking certain proselytisers who they were affiliated with, some were unable to give a clear answer, stating that they came from a small group of people who were not from the school and met on Saturdays to pray and study the bible. These kinds of interactions would leave me feeling eerie or uncomfortable. So, when confronted by proselytisers, it is important to first ask if they are from the school, and to ask which group or church they are affiliated with. If these questions are not answered fully or if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, it may be better to leave the situation. It is also important to research the different kinds of cults in Korea and how they operate when trying to distinguish between cults and religions. Below is an extract from a symposium, For and Against Proselytism, hosted by Professor José Casanova – a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. “I fully acknowledge the religious to preach the good news, to proclaim the Gospel. For some religions at least, certainly for Christianity, this is a duty, an obligation which must be taken very seriously as central to the religion. But against this religious duty there is the moral obligation, which I must take equally seriously, to respect other versions of the good news, other gospels, which other religious persons, other humans, take equally seriously. ”…“Individuals may have a right to conversion, which should be legally protected by every state that has signed any of the modern universal declarations of human rights. But this does not necessarily imply a parallel, juridically enforceable right to proselytise. ”… “Ultimately, it all depends on how we define “persuasion. ” If one could envision a form of persuasion that would be devoid of any force, of any unequal relation or power, of any subjection, of any seduction, of any non-rational factor…. Of course such persuasion is unreal. ”Although Casanova does not offer a remedy or a viable solution to the problems presented, the stance presented in the symposium explores a fair aspect of proselytisation by standing for it and against it. And the statement that there cannot be “a single universal religion or culture” is realistically true. As a Christian myself, I had speculations about the concept of proselytisation. My personal conclusion explores the roots of Evangelism. Evangelism – meaning good news in Greek, has the same principles as proselytisation. However, I believe Evangelism focuses more on presenting the gospel through everyday life, compared to the active, rather public proclamation of the gospel (proselytisation). While proselytisation and evangelisation have the same intentions, some draw a clear line between those two, claiming differences of public vs. personal and stranger vs. private life. Evangelism can be regarded as ‘less forceful’ and ‘more effective’ when compared to proselytisation. While talking to some of my Christian friends – some who have proselytised on campus, and some who have not, I found that while all of them thought that proselytisation is a worthy and respectable act, some remarked that it may not be the most suitable method of “spreading the Gospel” or showing God’s love in today’s society. Some mentioned that the methods of proselytisation could change, as it extremely difficult to succeed in proselytising, and some said that Christians who have not proselytised cannot actively criticise proselytisation as they do not have an exact understanding of it. Even between Christians, there are many debates and perspectives regarding proselytisation, and it is definitely not a simple matter. Some may find on-campus proselytisation offensive Although we should be aware of the possible danger of cults and sects, I wished to explain why some Christian groups support active proselytisation. I am in no place of discerning right and wrong, but I hope that this article was an opportunity for you to understand another viewpoint, and possibly add to the growth of your thought and mind. Regarding controversial issues today, a neutral stance is largely expected of everyone. However, we must remember that hiding behind neutrality and becoming too comfortable with not having one’s own thoughts becomes a different story. If we do not consider various viewpoints, it limits our potential to grow in thought and mind. This also makes us vulnerable to just following the herd without second thought when new controversial topics come up. In other words, it is important for us to think for ourselves and still be able to understand other perspectives. So, moving forward, I hope that this article has provided an opportunity to think about Christianity, cults, and proselytisation.

“Hello. I am Lee, and I am a Freshman this year. ”Introductory messages fill the Kakaotalk chatroom which had just been made to welcome incoming freshmen enrolled in Seoul National University’s Political Science and International Relations program. A 18-year old freshman surnamed Lee scrolls through the public Kakaotalk profiles of his new classmates. Abound with excitement, he is truly thrilled to meet each and every one of them. The fact that they have gone through identical admissions processes creates a sense of mutual connection, even though he has never met any of them in real life. But that excitement soon gives way to angst when he finds out that something is not quite right. Lee cautiously counts the number of participants in the group chat. SNU admits 74 new Poli-Sci undergraduate students annually, according to the department’s website. On top of that, it recruits one or two international students outside of its annual quota. The department has assigned two sophomores to help the new recruits feel welcome, and to guide them through their first few days at school. Simple math tells Lee that there should be approximately 78 people in the group. That is why he is shocked to find that the chatroom is infested with almost 90 participants, all claiming to be his classmate. Lee cannot help but wonder, who are these people?Tracing covert identities: from communism to dictatorshipTo uncover their identities, one must, oddly enough, first understand the complex history of South Korea’s communism, Red Scare, and democracy in the context of one unique word. Frakti. Frakti is a loanword originating from Russian that has truly left its mark in Korean history. The original Russian word—pronounced frakitya—refers to factions or groups. However, the word’s definition has changed over time in Korea, evolving to include new definitions. The National Institute of Korean Language currently defines frakti as “someone who enters an organization or field with a hidden identity to achieve a special goal. ”The word first appeared in South Korean media following the “National Assembly Frakti Intrusion” which occurred in the scorching summer of 1949. The story begins when National Assembly Rep. Kim Yak-su from the then-ruling Democratic National Party was arrested on the charges of treason, along with three other congressmen. The prosecution accused Kim of meeting with North Korean spies and conspiring against the government. Kim and his colleagues were named “Frakti from the Worker’s Party of South Korea. ”Back then, the original Russian definition of “faction” was being used, branding Kim and his colleagues as a faction of the WPSK that secretly infiltrated the Democratic National Party to further North Korea’s agendas. Kim, now labeled a spy, was sentenced to three years in prison, but escaped a year later when the Korean War broke out. However, this definition for frakti, referring to a communist spy, was short-lived. The term was given a completely new meaning following the tumultuous war. The war had greatly reshaped Korea’s political sphere, ushering in an age of dictators who consolidated power through anti-communist rhetoric. Frakti, a word of Soviet origin, was no longer used by a government reluctant to use words from the communist Soviet Union. Rather, the term was adopted and used by South Korea’s anti-dictatorship, pro-democracy activists. South Korea’s longing for democratization was kindled in 1960, spearheaded by small and localized protests, often organized by university students. Dictators throughout Korea’s modern history, ranging from South Korea’s first president Rhee Syng-man to strongman Chun Doo-hwan, all hoped to control and subdue the students. The Korea Central Intelligence Agency started recruiting conservative and power-hungry students to infiltrate the Student Body to obtain information on upcoming protests, and to ultimately tear them up from the inside by pitting students against each other. As student protests became more widespread in the late 1980s, the demand for such spies steadily increased, and the government hired recent graduates, felons, and the homeless to perform these tasks. Later, they even went as far as torturing captured pro-democracy activists and forcing them back to school on covert spy missions. When the existence of such government-sent spies became known, students called the spies frakti, and efforts to weed them out caused rampage throughout the student community. People who were revealed as, or accused of, being a frakti were often beaten up by their peers, with some even meeting their death in the process. Government-appointed frakti existed well into the 1990s, although Korea achieved democracy in the late 1900s, ousting Chun in 1987. The latest controversy surrounding frakti came about in 2008, when large masses gathered in a candlelight vigil to protest the Lee Myung-bak administration’s decision to lower import standards on US beef. South Korea had stopped importing US beef in 2003, following the discovery of a Mad Cow Disease strain in US beef products. However, the Roh Moo-hyun administration had signed in 2007 to resume beef imports as part of an inclusive Free Trade Agreement. During the 2008 protests, photos were leaked which hinted that the police were covertly planting people among the protestors to turn the vigil violent. A violent protest meant that the police could be more forceful and aggressive in its approach to disperse the crowd. ‘Just a small joke we play’So how does this little history lesson tie in with incoming freshman Lee’s puzzling experience?Well, that is because the ten-or-so people in Lee’s Kakaotalk chatroom, posing as his classmates, are in fact the notorious frakti. But rest assured; they are neither communist sympathizers colluding with the North, nor government-planted spies monitoring Lee’s every move. That would be more problematic. Just like any other word, the definition of frakti has since evolved. Today, frakti refers to college sophomores who pose as freshmen to play “a prank” on the incoming class. They usually keep their role until late February, revealing their identities only when the semester starts. These pranksters, also sometimes called X-men, declare themselves as being harmless, sitting in the back rows of freshmen orientations, learning the inside dynamics of the incoming class, so that the upperclassmen can “better assist their foray into university classrooms. ”By facilitating conversations in rather awkward settings, where everyone meets each other for the first time, frakti bridge freshmen together, and help them get a boost in their sweet campus lives. Or so they say. And after the grand reveal, the flustered freshmen fall to a giggle, and the former frakti and freshmen stay best friends, happily ever after. The end. Roses and daffodils, flowery euphemisms, so sweetly oozing and sticking to the tongue. But is that really the case? Are they really as harmless as they seem?A graduating student, who wished to remain anonymous, told The SNU Quill that she thought frakti were anachronisms, and that they did more harm than good. “I still remember the betrayal I felt when I learned my closest classmate was in fact my seonbae,” the student bitterly recalled. Seonbae is the Korean word referring to someone who has seniority at a school setting or workplace. “Most of my classmates felt the same, and there was widespread distrust after the first frakti was caught. That is why we decided to abolish the tradition in our department,” she added. The feelings of betrayal were most prominent among the people who experienced being on the receiving end of the frakti joke. However, some participants said they thought the tradition was necessary, even beyond just having fun. A sophomore student who acted as a frakti this year said that the frakti tradition helps the upperclassmen get to know the incoming class better. “It helps us get to know the students more personally,” the sophomore said. “It helps us reach beyond the barrier that exists between seonbae and hoobae. ” Hoobae refers to people who lack seniority. “It is also ultimately helpful to the incoming class because the seonbae are able to understand their worries better, and help them adapt to the new school better,” he added. He also argued that because the frakti lead most of the conversations in the chatroom, the frakti allow incoming strangers to get closer to each other in a shorter amount of time. “Plus, it’s just a small joke we play. ”However, there are constant reports on social media of harm being done because of this “joke. ”Nightmarish stories in which a freshman suffered repercussions after bad mouthing a sophomore to a frakti can easily be found online. Some student advocacy groups said that this was a type of gapjil—arrogance and authoritarianism showcased by people who are in positions of power—based on the informational divide. They argue that some seonbae sacrifice the freshmen’s dignity just to have fun. To prevent such mishaps, the Students and Minorities Human Rights Council at SNU published a guideline on how these frakti jokes should be played without hurting the younger students. The guideline begins by calling out the joke as being inherently “deceptive,” and “an assertion of power by the seonbae. ”It then recommends measures to ensure that the frakti joke is played safely. It reminds its readers that the inherent purpose of frakti should be to facilitate the freshmen’s assimilation. It condemns frakti who only talk amongst themselves, or start becoming close with just one or two freshmen, excluding others. It also says that frakti should not host or attend unofficial after parties, and work to protect the rights of his or her hoobae. Frakti should adhere to creating an inclusive environment, and other upperclassmen should refrain from asking the frakti’ opinions on certain freshmen. The frakti should set an example and show the underclassmen that they do not have to do anything they do not want to. It also asserts that the frakti should continue its efforts to stay close-friends with the freshmen after his or her grand reveal. Meanwhile, some people on campus have been calling for stricter measures to be put in place, citing the decision of Korea University’s Department of Media and Communication to abolish the tradition altogether by revising the department’s student bylaws. The fine line between ‘tradition’ and ‘bullying’The frakti prank is quite frequently depicted in South Korea’s popular culture. Streaming service provider Seezn recently released a comedy drama titled “New Recruit,” which details events that happen during the main character’s compulsory military service. In the first episode, the squad leader plays a frakti-like prank on the protagonist who is fresh out of boot camp. Squad leader Corporal Choi Il-gu pretends to be a private, just like main character Park Min-seok. Cpl Choi leads on Priv Park to badmouth Private First Class Kim Sang-hoon, who is of lower rank than Cpl Choi, but of higher rank than Priv Park. Priv Park is in tears as Cpl Choi reveals his identity, and PVC Kim laughs away at the joke. However, once Cpl Choi learns that Priv Park is none other than the son of the current Division Commander, who is a one-star general, Choi rushes to tell Park that the joke he and Kim had made was nothing but a mere “tradition. ”“You know! It’s just a tradition on our base!” Choi rants, justifying his action. So many practices survive well past their time under the name tradition. But what exactly are traditions, and should they continue to exist just because they always have?Various versions of a saying that answers this question have been diffused across military bases in Korea, as the Republic of Korea Army contemplates ways to eradicate accounts of bullying among soldiers. One version of the saying goes, “it is a tradition if everyone agrees with the practice, but it is bullying if even just one person fails to agree. ”These wise words whispered by an anonymous guru asserts that there is a slim, but concrete line between tradition and bullying; and that line is denoted by the existence of a victim. The notion that Park should accept Choi’s frakti joke just because it is a tradition leads us down a slippery slope. Honor killing, female genital mutilation, and child marriages were traditions practiced in different civilizations across the globe for various religious, political and social reasons. Of course the stakes are different, but must we accept these practices too?A harmful tradition is nothing more than a case of ongoing bullying. The practice of frakti on campus definitely has its upsides. Frakti jokes can break the ice, and can act as crutches for the freshmen as they make new friends and get accustomed to their campus lives. But it is about time we wondered, do the good outweigh the bad? Must we continue this tradition even if people feel betrayed or mocked? Does everyone truly agree to the practice?Some food for thought.