A student referendum held by Student Union on the abolition of the Female Student Union was held over two days, from Sept. 8 to 9. 50.7% turnout of voters, with 88.2% agreed, 10.4% opposed, and 1.4% abstained, resulted in the decision to dissolve the union. While this decision resolves the long-standing issue of the Female Student Union’s continued existence amid a prolonged operational hiatus, controversy remains over the democratic legitimacy of the process and the lack of public deliberation. Supporters of abolition, the Student Union, argued that the Female Student Union was distinct from other student organizations because it limited membership exclusively to female students, which they claimed compromised its representativeness and openness. They also pointed out that in recent years, the president and executive board positions had remained vacant, effectively halting the union’s activities, and thus operational normalcy had disappeared.

On the other hand, those in favor of its continuation, the Female Student Union, emphasized that the Female Student Union served as an important space addressing structural discrimination faced by women as a minority on campus. They dismissed the notion that the union was “a misandrist group” as a misunderstanding and stated that they were preparing for a fresh start through amendments to the bylaws and functional restructuring.

However, criticism was also raised regarding the referendum process itself. Discussions surrounding the abolition were limited to sharing links to materials, with virtually no public briefings or open forums for deliberation. As a result, it was argued that the vote was rushed without providing members with sufficient information.

The Postech Times interviewed Jung-woo Lee (IME 19), who mentioned that “While the format of a student referendum is democratic in itself, there was a lack of opportunity for members to fully understand the background and context.” He added, “It is questionable whether this decision, made in the absence of a public deliberation space, truly reflects a democratic process.” He also noted, “Adequate information about the procedures and impacts following abolition was not provided,” and warned that the resulting gap and confusion surrounding the dissolution of the Female Student Union will pose a new challenge for future campus discussions.

Although the abolition of the Female Student Union has been officially confirmed, how to fill the resulting structural void remains unclear. Supporters of abolition suggested that the functions related to protecting the rights of women and minorities could be distributed among existing student organizations, but supporters of continuation stressed that the need for a dedicated women’s autonomous space remains significant.