Measures are being pursued to resolve chronic transportation inconveniences at Miryang Campus of Pusan National University (PNU). PNU President Choi Jae-Weon stated that discussions are underway with Miryang City to increase city bus operations, and improvements are expected to take effect as early as November.

The General Students' Association (GSA) and the Office of Student Affairs at PNU held the "President-Student Meeting for Communication and Harmony among Multi-Campuses" at the “Kkumyeoul” coffee shop in the Miryang Campus Student Union Building on the afternoon of October 29th. The event was prepared as an opportunity for communication, where the PNU President and students enjoyed chicken and beverages together while conducting a Q&A session on campus issues. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes, with the president responding to pre-collected questions from the GSA, focusing on Miryang Campus transportation, the establishment of new general education courses, and utilization plans for land around the campus.

With about 80 students attending, the session covered various issues, including transportation, courses, and facilities, as well as the difficulties faced by Miryang Campus students. In particular, the chronic transportation inconvenience was a major topic. One PNU student enrolled at Miryang Campus complained, “The interval for city buses connecting the campus to downtown Miryang is as short as 30 minutes and as long as two hours,” adding, “Due to combined surcharges, taking a taxi incurs an additional 40% fare.” This “combined surcharge” is a system designed to compensate taxi drivers for lost revenue in rural areas with low demand by imposing extra charges when traveling from a town (eup in Korean) to the city. Because the Miryang Campus is located in Samnangjin-eup, students must pay additional charges under this system when taking a taxi downtown, where the railway station is located.

In response, President Choi stated that additional city buses for Miryang Campus are being discussed with Miryang-si, and the addition of buses may be implemented as soon as this month. President Choi said, “As the demand for buses has significantly increased compared to the past, discussions have been held with the mayor of Miryang City, and a solution is expected to be enacted soon.” He further emphasized, “Discussions on transportation are also actively underway at the Miryang-City & PNU Coexistence Development Council (Coexistence Council).” The Coexistence Council is an organization established on October 20th, 2025 by PNU and Miryang City to jointly address such issues as local population decline and the recruitment of outstanding students, with Vice President for External and Strategic Affairs Park Sang-Hoo and Miryang City Deputy Mayor Kwak Geun-Seok serving as co-chairs as can be seen in a report by “Channel PNU,” written on October 31st, 2025.

The shortage of general education courses at Miryang Campus was also raised. Due to the small number of students, there are limits to the number and capacity of popular general education courses, making it difficult for students to fulfill general education requirements. In response, President Choi explained, “Of the 389 general education courses offered in the Fall semester of 2025 Academic Year, 100 were hosted by the Institute of Liberal Education, and 289 were offered by each college department.” He continued adding, “Since general education courses are strongly influenced by departmental capacity, there are clear limits to opening more at the Miryang Campus, which has fewer departments.” He also said, “If professors or teaching assistants at Miryang Campus request the opening of general education courses, we can consider dispatching lecturers from Busan Campus or opening online lectures.”

Utilization plans for the land surrounding Miryang Campus were also discussed. A student mentioned, “Given the large area, facilities such as greenhouses, rice paddies, and gardens for practical training in bio-industry-related departments are insufficient.” President Choi replied, “Rather than local land or facilities in Miryang City being left unused, it would be far better for students to make active use of them,” and said he would propose land utilization to the Coexistence Council.

During the open Q&A session, many students shared suggestions for the future vision of Miryang Campus. One attendee commented, “Since Miryang Campus is relatively small, the campus quite gives the outdated impression.” He continued adding, “It would be beneficial to hold joint events with local residents or invite high schools in the area for campus tours to foster a lively atmosphere.”

Students who participated in the meeting welcomed President Choi’s strong commitment to inter-campus harmony. In his opening remarks, President Choi emphasized, “If the four campuses of PNU do not each advance, the overall progress of the university will be difficult,” and called upon all campus members to work together as the university approaches its 80th anniversary in 2026. Park Tae-Hoon (Dept. of Plant Bioscience, 21) said, “Miryang Campus meeting showed that the university cares about its students.” Lee Sung-Kyu (Dept. of Plant Bioscience, 21) added, “The President seems to value cooperation between campuses and communication with students, and I hope the university will develop further through this opportunity.”

Meanwhile, starting with this Miryang Campus meeting, similar meetings will be held at Yangsan and Busan Campuses, under the lead of GSA. The Yangsan Campus meeting will take place on November 11th on the first floor of Kyungam Engineering Hall, and the Busan Campus meeting will be held on November 18th in the faculty dining hall on the second floor of Geumjeong Hall. Interested students can apply through a Google Form linked in the GSA’s Instagram announcement.

Reported by Kim Ju-Hong

Translated by Channel PNU