The 58th Emergency Response Committee (ERC) of the General Student Association (GSA) at Seoul and Global Campus launched as the 2025 GSA’s term of office came to an end. Hwang Hee-won, the president of the College of Humanities, was chosen as the Seoul Campus ERC chair. For Global Campus, Park Byeong-jun, the former GSA Core’s president, was chosen as the ERC chair.

 Global ERC chair Park Byeong-jun (left) and Seoul ERC chair Hwang Hee-won (right)

Photo: KHU Global Campus GSA Instagram (@khu_58th) | KHU College of Humanities Instagram (@khumanities_58)

Seoul Campus: Transition to an ERC Following an Invalid Election

The Seoul Campus officially transitioned to an ERC system after the election for the 58th Seoul Campus GSA was declared invalid due to proxy voting. The Central Election Management Committee stated that a re-election should be held but due to time constraints and procedural issues, it was impossible to conduct the election within the year. As a result, the 58th GSA election will be held as a by-election in March.

On December 28, Seoul Campus ERC establishment committee chose out the ERC chair by a vote by student representatives. Hwang Hee-won, the sole candidate, was elected with unanimous approval.

Through Instagram, Hwang stated “I deeply understand the confusion, anxiety, and concerns that students may be feeling amid the sudden invalidation of the election and the resulting leadership vacuum.” She added, “Although the ERC is a temporary body, its responsibility is by no means light. I will do my best to fulfill the role of student self-governance in a way that is close to students and worthy of their trust.”

Global Campus: Leadership Vacuum Due to Lack of Candidates

The Global Campus also transitioned to an ERC system after the GSA election was not held due to the absence of candidates. Therefore, the former GSA president Park Byeong-jun was appointed as the ERC chair.

However, the appointment of a former GSA president as ERC chair is considered unusual. Traditionally, the ERC chair has been selected from among student representatives elected in the same year’s election. This decision came after the Emergency Central Operations Committee clarified how the GSA bylaws should be applied during its December 1 meeting. Under this interpretation, one member of a former GSA may be selected as the ERC chair for the relevant year.

Via Instagram, Park said that discussions on tuition are ongoing and that no decisions have been made yet, adding that efforts would be made to ensure students’ opinions are conveyed in a reasonable manner.
He also stated, “The General Student Association should serve as a body that reflects students’ voices in actual discussions and decision-making, and we will uphold this principle under the ERC system until the by-election.”

With the invalidation of the GSA election on the Seoul Campus and the lack of candidates on the Global Campus, both campuses are currently facing a vacuum in student self-governance. It is yet to be determined whether the ERC will be able to fill the current leadership gap. The terms of office for both ERCs will last until the establishment of the 58th GSA through the by-election in March.