Three candidates entered the election for the 58th General Students’ Association (GSA) election at Pusan National University (PNU), forming a three-way contest for the first time in nine years since 2016. The development has raised expectations for a new wave in student self-governance.

On November 7th, PNU’s Central Election Commission announced that three election campaign teams had officially registered following the candidate registration period held from November 3rd to 5th. The No. 1 team “PASS” consists of main candidate Choi Yeon-Woo (Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition, 21) and deputy candidate Choi Seo-Yoon (Dept. of Plastic Arts, 21). The No. 2 team “Woori” includes main candidate Na Seok-Ho (Dept. of History, 21) and deputy candidate Park Eun-Young (Dept. of Psychology, 23). The No. 3 team “O-reum” is composed of main candidate Kim Ho-Young (Dept. of Economics, 24) and deputy candidate Lim Eun-young (Dept. of Political Science and Diplomacy, 23). Each team received 2,974, 2,474, and 1,760 recommendation signatures respectively, which determined their ballot order.

This year’s election has been shaped into a contest between candidates with college-level student council experience and those active in independent student movements. Another notable aspect is that none of the three teams are success of the previous GSA. The No. 1 team includes candidates who previously served as president of the College of Human Ecology Student Council and the chairman of the Interim Student Council for the College of Arts. The No. 3 team combines former vice presidents of the College of Economics and International Trade and the College of Social Sciences. The No. 2 team consists of activists who have worked outside the student council. In October, they formed the “PNU Student Autonomy Initiative” and submitted a list of ten student demands to both the Head Office and GSA.

The election campaign will run from November 11th to 24th, and voting will take place online from November 25th to 27th, from 9am to 7pm each day. The three campaign teams plan to hold election rallies at major locations across the Busan, Miryang, and Yangsan campuses.

The three-way race in 2026’s GSA election is the first since the 49th election in 2016. At that time, three candidates competed, and the “Pride IN U” campaign won with 59.91 percent of the vote.

Students have expressed anticipation over the three-way race. Cheon Woo-Jin (Dept. of Chemistry, 21) said, “It is quite unusual compared to the past few years, when only one or two teams ran in the election.” Kim Young-Hyun (Dept. of Psychology, 22) remarked, “It is surprising to see as many as three teams running in 2026. I hope this becomes an opportunity for both the GSA and PNU to better reflect students’ opinions.” Min Hee (Prof. of Political Science and Diplomacy, PNU) commented, “The three-way race, the first in nine years, demonstrates students’ proactive will for campus autonomy. It could serve as a turning point that encourages more dynamic and active participation.”

Reporter Song Min-Soo

Translated by Seo Young-Chae