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By Lee Moon-young　

Calls for the halving of tuition rates, which have primarily come from university students, continued to spread to the larger population Tuesday. With opposition parties and civic and social organizations lending their support in the form of an “Emergency Countermeasures Council,” the issue shows increased chances of moving beyond its university student base to become a universal call for reduced tuition.

“The Emergency Countermeasures Council for Unconditional Half-Price Tuition and Demanding an Apology from President Lee Myung-bak,” an organization joining university students with opposition party representatives and civil and social organizations, is scheduled to hold a meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Sookmyung Women’s University. Officials with the Democratic Party, Democratic Labor Party, New Progressive Party, and People’s Participation Party are set to express their sympathies with students, with each party present its own measures to address the tuition burden.

The DP is holding the first meeting of its Special Committee on Half-Price Tuition and Higher Education Reform on Tuesday, with plans for members to discuss the content and passage of five pieces of tuition-related legislation, including amendment of the Higher Education Act to introduce a tuition ceiling, and the earmarking of 500 billion won ($463 million) for tuition in the supplementary budget plan at the June extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

Also taking part to announce plans for solidarity are representatives from the Korean Professors’ Union (KPU), the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the Korean Teachers’ and Education Workers’ Union (KTU, Jeon Gyo Jo), the National Association of Parents for Cham-Education, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, and the religious community.

The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) is also looking at plans for harking the demands of demonstrating students. Some observers are saying the floor leadership should meet directly with students at the scene of the demonstrations, as it was the ruling party that led the way in making an issue of half-price tuition.

Observers are predicting that the council will serve as the point where the tuition battle, which has centered on university students thus far, will develop into solidarity across society. National Tuition Network Policy Secretary An Jin-geol said, “In participating in the council Tuesday, opposition parties and civic groups moved by the efforts of university students are declaring that they will act together in the fight to halve tuition rates and expand educational welfare.”“The students’ candles for tuition will become South Koreans’ candles following discussions Tuesday,” An predicted.

The council’s initial goal is to maximize the candlelight vigil demonstrations scheduled for June 10. The idea is to turn the halving of tuition rates into a national issue for the 24th anniversary of the June 10 democratization movement in 1987. The question of whether to make the Council permanent after Tuesday has yet to be decided.

The enthusiastic participation of prominent figures from various fields who have taken part in the campaign separately from political parties and civil society is growing by the day. Actor Kwon Hae-hyo plans to launch a one-person demonstration Tuesday, while singers Park Hye-kyung and Yoon Do-hyun are holding performances to support the students, respectively on Tuesday and around June 15. Democracy alumni association members from Kyung Hee University and Chung-Ang University are scheduled to prepare snacks to bring to a candlelight vigil demonstration Tuesday evening.

The candlelight fever is already spreading beyond the ranks of university students and reaching a variety of age groups. Indeed, the students and citizens who have gathered at the demonstrations in the area of Seoul’s Gwanghwamun have included not only those in their twenties but also people from ages ranging from their teens to their sixties. Observers are noting the crucial point that these people are now taking part as “interested parties” in the tuition issue rather than supporters of the university students.

An 18-year-old Paiwha Girls’ High School senior identified by the surname Lee who attended a demonstration at around 10 p.m. on June 2 said, “I took part after hearing about the tuition candlelight vigil demonstration on Twitter.”

“This affects me directly, since I will have to attend for one semester and then take a leave of absence when I go to university next year because of tuition,” she added.

Another 18-year-old Paihwa Girls’ High School senior who accompanied Lee, identified by the surname Park, said, “My cousins took out loans to pay for tuition, and they have not been able to study properly because they have taken on part-time jobs to pay them back.”

“I think the temporary worker problem is happening because of things like this,” she added.

Lee Jae-gyo, a 47-year-old company worker, said, “Tuition is a future problem for me because I have children in their junior and senior years in high school.”

“The reason I came here with my candle is because the tuition issue connects with the universal welfare issue that has become a major topic lately,” Lee added.

Lee Min-ho, a 42-year-old day laborer who has been taking part in tuition demonstrations regularly since April, said, “The tuition issue is now an issue for all of society rather than just students, but there is no interest from people in changing it.”

TV personality Kim Je-dong, 37, said, “Tuition is not just an issue for university students, but something linked directly to all households, including teenagers, people in their twenties who are not university students, student parents in their thirties to fifties, and senior citizens with grandchildren in university.”

“The candlelight vigil demonstrations need to be a channel where issues facing all areas of society can be raised,” Kim added.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]