The Reason Dormitory Access Becomes Difficult Over Time

Satellite picture of IGC; Original source by Naver Map

Photo Credit: www.map.naver.com

The vacant lot adjacent to George Mason University Korea(GMUK) has been abandoned without construction or changes. However, it should have been a place where the second campus complex was already actively taking place, starting in 2021 as planned. Meanwhile, campus dormitory fees continue to rise, causing inconvenience to many students. According to the IGC Housing, the cost of staying in a single room for 17 weeks is 1,594,000 KRW, and the cost of a double room is 1,009,000 KRW; however, the actual price students paid for this semester are 1,912,500 KRW for single-room and 1,275,000 KRW for double-room. These are a few questions students on campus have been asking, “How do these two seemingly unrelated things matter to each other? Why has this space been abandoned for years, and why is this happening related to the issue that students living on campus face?”

The cost of using dormitories shared by Incheon Global Campus (IGC) students, including GMUK, has increased steadily in recent years. While house prices are rising throughout the metropolitan area of Korea, the land and rental prices are rising as various facilities such as K-POP Complex and SK Bio are added to Songdo. This phenomenon has forced students, who have no options, to pay higher dormitory fees. Therefore, it is challenging for students to find alternative accommodation in Songdo, particularly nearby the campus.

Due to this circumstance, there has been much dissatisfaction in the dormitory recently. The Voice interviewed some students and found concerns regarding the issues they are facing with the rising price. A freshman student (GMUK, Global Affairs, ‘25) said, “I[He] noticed that the cost of the dormitory has risen, though its environment is not good.” He added, “There are many problems inside the dormitory, but I am[he is] more dissatisfied with the passive and closed attitude of the people in charge to solve the problem.” Another sophomore student (GMUK, Global Affairs, ‘23) said, “I’ve experienced a steadily rising dormitory fee, but there was no clear notification about it. I’m [she’s] worried that it will rise further in the future.”

The bigger problem is that there is even a possibility that students will compete for the IGC dormitory as the number of students increases. According to a Korean university newspaper, the Incheon Global Campus has about 3,073 students, accounting for only 61.5% of the target of 5,000 students this year. However, the number of students is expected to increase as Universities in the IGC have tried to attract new students over time. If this trend continues, the IGC’s dormitories, accommodating 3,000 people, may someday have to adjust 5,000 people. As a result, there is concern about competition among students for dormitories or further deterioration of the dormitory situation.

Most of these problems were caused by the suspension of construction of the aforementioned secondary campus complex. Contrary to its original plan to attract ten additional universities, IGC has only attracted one (Stanford laboratory Institute) since 2017. Accordingly, the second campus complex with a new dormitory planned to be completed in 2021 was delayed until 2024. However, the completion target was postponed once again to 2026 since the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy recently criticized the low financial independence of the IGC and ordered to re-examine the feasibility of the secondary campus building. They also announced that the government would gradually cut off the existing support expenses, increasing dormitory usage fees.

As a result, IGC students face rising dormitory prices and potentially even competition for rooms. Such issues are very complex, extending to the IGC and even government agencies level. Thus, it won’t be easy to see any visible improvement for the time being. Before the situation worsens, students must first be aware of the condition of the circumstances and constantly ask for improvement. Although George Mason University Korea has no specific authority with the issue, it should try to support its students regarding their problems. Also, the university should seriously consider introducing a housing department similar to that of the Fairfax campus in order to minimize the damage to students in such difficult situations.

Written by Yoonbin Nam | staff writer

Revised by Yu Bin Kwon | Managing Editor