Established in 2019 based on the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling, the Seoul National University Faculty Union has achieved remarkable growth. In July 2024, it set a new milestone by becoming the nation’s first university faculty labour union representing a majority of all professors.

Consequently, the faculty union has firmly established its legal status as the official representative body for Seoul National University’s faculty. It has also laid the institutional groundwork ensuring that any changes to faculty working conditions require mandatory agreement with the union.

Our vision is clear: to develop Seoul National University into a world-class research-focused university that commands the trust and respect of the nation. We firmly believe that improving faculty welfare is the core prerequisite for achieving this. The faculty union is achieving tangible progress in protecting professors’ rights and enhancing welfare through wage and collective bargaining, while deriving practical improvement measures through systematic policy research and seminars.

The stark reality is that the current level of treatment for Seoul National University faculty not only falls short of the standards of the world’s leading universities but also remains at only 70-80% of the level seen at major private universities in Korea. This poses a serious obstacle to securing outstanding faculty and enhancing research immersion, while also negatively impacting the cultivation of the next generation of scholars. It is self-evident that improving faculty treatment is the foremost priority for strengthening the university’s fundamental competitiveness.

The faculty union is also striving to improve faculty working conditions through collective bargaining and ongoing communication channels. Currently, Seoul National University faculty members do not even enjoy the basic welfare benefits afforded to employees of large corporations. While the improvements in conditions anticipated following corporatisation have been minimal, the foundation has now been laid to drive substantive change through securing a majority of union members.

We will build a constructive cooperative relationship with the university administration through rational and concrete proposals, grounded in a deep understanding of the university’s financial and administrative systems.

The faculty union deeply recognises its social responsibilities. We aim to present a new model for labour-management relations within Korean academia through a balanced approach that protects professors’ legitimate rights and interests while fulfilling our public responsibilities. We will do our utmost to ensure that professors, who dedicate themselves on the front lines of education and research, receive the appropriate treatment and rights they deserve.

The 4th President of SNU Faculty Union
Yim, Ho-Joon