Ten students at Sungshin Women's University have been referred to prosecutors after staging a lacquer-spray protest against the school's decision to allow male applicants to its School of International Studies.
Seoul's Seongbuk Police Station referred 10 of 13 Sungshin Women's University students on charges of joint property destruction and joint trespass on buildings, police said Monday. Three students were not referred due to insufficient evidence.
The students are accused of spraying lacquer on campus buildings and facilities in November 2024. They were protesting the university's decision to open admissions for male applicants to the School of International Studies for the 2025 academic year. The university filed a complaint against the students on charges including property destruction, saying it spent approximately 400 million won ($290,000) to repair damage caused by the protest.
Police began summoning students for questioning starting in November last year. Investigators also executed a search warrant at the home of one student. In response, the students' attorney filed a motion to recuse the investigation team, citing issues with procedures and excessive investigation. Police accepted the motion and transferred the case from the investigation division to the criminal affairs division.