To: Dongguk University Administration, Korean Ministry of Education, and International University Partners

We, the undersigned, demand immediate action to address the documented sexual violence risks and confirmed falsified international partnerships at Dongguk University in South Korea. International students face particularly high dangers in an environment where structural protections against sexual violence are systematically absent.

The Issues

Sexual Violence Crisis:
- 61.5% of female arts students at Korean universities experience sexual violence
- 65.5% of campus sexual violence is perpetrated by professors
- Film departments have the highest risk score (81/100) among all arts programs
- Dongguk's Graduate School of Digital Image and Contents has exclusively male professors
- The university disbanded its Women's Student Council in 2018
- There is documented institutional negligence in handling sexual assault reports

Falsified International Partnerships:
- Dongguk University claims 381 international university partners
- A Canadian university confirmed they "do not have a student exchange agreement with Dongguk University," despite being listed as a partner
- Multiple U.S. universities are re-evaluating their partnerships with Dongguk
- Korean universities receive government funding based partly on their international partnerships
- False partnership claims may constitute misuse of public funds
- A prominent global university ranking organization has escalated these concerns to their management

Special Vulnerability of International Students:
- Language and cultural barriers impede reporting of sexual violence
- Lack of support networks
- Concerns about visa status and academic standing

Our Demands

1. **Immediate Safety Reforms:**
   - Establish a dedicated office for handling sexual violence complaints
   - Hire female professors in the Graduate School of Digital Image and Contents
   - Reinstate the Women's Student Council
   - Implement mandatory sexual violence prevention training for all faculty and staff

2. **Financial Transparency:**
   - Conduct an independent audit of all claimed international partnerships
   - Publish a complete list of verified partnerships
   - Return any public funds obtained through misrepresentation
   - Issue public corrections for any falsely claimed partnerships

3. **International Student Protections:**
   - Create multilingual resources for reporting sexual violence
   - Establish specific support systems for international students
   - Ensure non-retaliation policies for students who report sexual violence

Why This Matters

Who Is Impacted?
Students in Korean universities face these risks daily. Research literature documents that victims of sexual violence often experience various health impacts. International students across Korean institutions are especially vulnerable, facing isolation, language barriers, and concerns about their academic standing. Without intervention, these systemic issues will continue to affect new generations of students who come to Korea seeking quality education.

What Is at Stake?
If these issues remain unaddressed, hundreds more students will be placed at risk of sexual violence in an environment designed to silence them. The falsified partnerships will continue to mislead prospective students, who make life-altering decisions based on Dongguk's claimed international standing. Universities worldwide are unknowingly associated with an institution that compromises student safety and academic integrity.

Why Now Is the Time to Act

The Korean government has launched an ambitious drive to recruit 300,000 international students by 2027 (https://english.moe.go.kr/boardCnts/viewRenewal.do?boardID=265&boardSeq=96185&lev=0&searchType=null&statusYN=W&page=1&s=english&m=0201&opType=N creating pressure to present Korean universities in the best possible light. This recruitment push may reduce oversight and enforcement of safety standards at a time when they're most needed. What began as an investigation into one university's safety issues has potentially uncovered a more widespread pattern of falsified partnerships and misuse of public funds that could extend throughout the Korean university system. 

Our advocacy has revealed that government funding mechanisms based on international partnerships may be creating perverse incentives across multiple institutions, not just Dongguk. With government officials now viewing our documentation, there is increasing recognition that this could represent systemic corruption requiring broader reform. Furthermore, as more universities discover Dongguk's false partnership claims, there is a unique window of opportunity for collective action that could force meaningful reforms beyond a single institution. Each day of delay means more students entering unsafe environments without full knowledge of the risks they face.

Students deserve a safe educational environment free from sexual violence and institutional deception. International students invest significant resources in their education abroad and should not be subjected to unsafe conditions or associated with an institution that may be misrepresenting its global standing.

The Gender Watchdog Research Collective has already received confirmation from multiple universities that they are reviewing their relationships with Dongguk University. This petition seeks to accelerate necessary reforms and ensure accountability.

By signing this petition, you are standing with students who deserve safety, transparency, and accountability in higher education.

Gender Watchdog Research Collective
https://genderwatchdog.org/