Hanchongnyon (Hanguk Daehak Chonghaksaenghoi ryonhap), also known as the Confederation of Korean Students’ Union or the South Korean Federation of University Students Councils, is a pro-
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Hanchongnyon supports a North Korean-led unification of Korea and instigates Korean college students to overturn the South Korean state system. In particular, it condemns the continued presence of the
United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a Unified Combatant Command#Subordinate Unified Command, sub-unified command of United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-re ...
(USFK), which it sees as a humiliating vestige of
U.S. imperialism
American imperialism refers to the expansion of American political, economic, cultural, and media influence beyond the boundaries of the United States. Depending on the commentator, it may include imperialism through outright military conquest ...
and advocates on behalf of Korean reunification. Hanchongnyon is widely known for its effort to overturn the South Korean state system, mainly through demonstrations.
History
Its main headquarters were
Korea University
Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities.
The ...
(
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
) and
Chonnam University
Chonnam National University (CNU) is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities located in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, South Korea. In March 2006, Yeosu National University merged with Chonnam National University to become a satellit ...
(
Gwangju
Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...
). The ideological roots of the organisation can be traced to the mid-1980's, when radical students and intellectuals had become increasingly aware of the North Korean '' Juche'' ideology, some of whom reacted to it favorably and began to agitate in favor of the North and against the traditional pro-American South Korean state. It was organized in early 1993 as a realignment of the () student organization, a leftist student group that was formed by activists in the () of the South Korean student movement.
In August 1996, a Hanchongnyon protest was held at Yonsei University, where harsh criticisms were levied against then-president Kim Young-sam. The students also voiced support for North Korea's preferred policies in regards to reunification and inter-Korean relations. After the North began to use the demonstration as part of its own state propaganda, the Kim government forcefully dispersed the demonstration. As a result, one policeman died and hundreds on both sides were injured before police finally raided the campus building and detained 3,500 protestors. Most were released from the police stations the next day but 280 were formally arrested and charged for violating the National Security Act and other statues. Kim vowed to root out pro-North radicals from universities and held a meeting with 300 university administrators to discuss methods to do so. The move was not without controversy, with some drawing comparisons to the 1980
Gwangju Uprising
The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (Ma ...
.
It was criminalized under the National Security Act in 1999 for alleged pro-North Korean activities. The North Korea-based Pomchonghakryon considers the Hanchongnyon as its southern headquarters.
As the Soviet Union collapsed and the North Korean famine occurred, many of the North-friendly groups lost popularity, and many activists later stated they became more skeptical towards North Korea.
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, " ''
*
Education in South Korea
Education in South Korea is provided by both public schools and private schools. Both types of schools receive funding from the government, although the amount that the private schools receive is less than the amount of the state schools.
Sout ...
Democratic Labor Party (South Korea)
The Democratic Labor Party () was a progressive and nationalist political party in South Korea. It was founded in January 2000, in the effort to create a political wing for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and was considered more lef ...
*
Progressive Party (South Korea, 2017)
The Progressive Party (), known as the Minjung Party () until June 2020, is a left-wing nationalist political party in South Korea. The party was formed by the merger of the New People's Party and People's United Party on 15 October 2017.
...
*'' Juchesasangpa'', the South Korean political organization advocating ''Juche''
*
Student movements in Korea
The first Korean student movement begun in 1919, when students took part in the Sam-il Movement of 1 March to call for the end of Japanese colonization. The student movement has since then played a major part in several big political changes in K ...