As controversy grows over Pusan National University (PNU)’s push to build a memorial monument—with professors and students split on the issue—PNU has finally begun gathering feedback from its members. The move appears to have somewhat eased the criticism that the memorial project was being rushed.

On May 2nd, PNU stated that it would “reflect the opinions of its members on the specific details of the Korean War memorial,” in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the project. In a phone interview with Channel PNU on April 29th, the PNU’s Head Offices said, “We will reconvene the Campus Planning Committee between June and July to discuss key matters such as the location, the design, the size, and the unveiling date of the monument before moving forward.” The committee will be composed of 15 members, including two professors recommended by the PNU’s Faculty Council.

PNU had previously signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in September, 2024 to build the “Korean War Hero Memorial.” However, the Faculty Council, which became aware of the agreement belatedly, made an official request on April 14th for a full reconsideration of the monument project—a development reported by Channel PNU on April 17th, 2025. On April 16th, the Head Offices postponed the unveiling ceremony originally scheduled for May 2nd and reexamined the proposed construction site.

Nevertheless, concerns were officially raised during the Academic Committee meeting on April 17th, citing issues such as a lack of procedural legitimacy, potential harm to the symbolic nature of the campus, insufficient public deliberation, and inappropriate spatial planning. In addition, as banners criticizing the lack of community input were hung across the campus by various groups, including the Faculty Council, the Departments of Physics and Physics Education, the Democratic Alumni Association, and the PNU branch of the Korean Irregular Professors’ Union, the Head Offices stepped back even further.

However, the Head Offices made it clear that there would be no change in the decision to proceed with the memorial’s construction itself. “Since the project is being carried out based on an agreement with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, a complete cancellation is not under consideration,” the Head Offices stated. Subsequently, the Faculty Council accepted the administration’s position. Lee Yong-Jae (Prof. of Library, Archive and Information Studies, PNU), Chair of the Faculty Council, said, “It is a positive step that the Head Offices is willing to engage in discussion.”

Still, some are increasingly criticizing that the process lacks sufficient public deliberation. An official of the Korean Irregular Professor Union at PNU argued, “Although PNU says it is now beginning to discuss the details, student voices are still excluded. This remains a decision made without any student input.” On PNU’s anonymous online community, Everytime, students have echoed their sentiment, saying, “There hasn’t been any procedure to collect student opinions about the memorial construction.”

Meanwhile, concerns are growing that the memorial project could become a flashpoint for ideological conflict both on and off campus. During the Academic Committee meeting on April 17th, a member warned.  “The memorial could be used by external political forces as a tool for ideological conflict.” In fact, some conservative external groups, including the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Coalition of University Students for Liberal Democracy, have recently posted banners and public statements supporting the construction of the memorial on campus. These groups have announced a rally in support of the project, scheduled for May 9th at 11 am outside PNU’s main gate.

Reporter Jung Yoon-Seo

Translated by Seo Yoo-Jung