Tag: South Korea

Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has recruited 10 members for a disability orchestra under the Research & Business Foundation (President: Koo Ja Choon) to fulfill its social responsibilities and create sustainable employment opportunities. The members officially began their activities on the 9th.

The newly launched disability orchestra presented a moving debut performance at the pre-ceremony event of the “2026 Winter Degree Conferral Ceremony” held on February 25. The performance, which celebrated the new beginnings of graduates, provided a meaningful opportunity for members of the university community to improve awareness of disabilities and share the value of culture and the arts.

This recruitment initiative was carried out to put the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management values of the Research & Business Foundation into practice and to translate inclusiveness toward socially vulnerable groups, particularly through the employment of persons with disabilities, into tangible outcomes.

Starting with the Graduation Ceremony performance, the orchestra will be invited to participate in various major events both on and off campus, including entrance ceremonies, college-level graduation ceremonies, and events for major donors, thereby enhancing the practical effectiveness of its operations. Beginning with this recruitment of 10 members, the Research & Business Foundation plans to closely analyze operational outcomes and continue developing exemplary cases of ESG management, including initiatives to improve awareness of disabilities and to establish mutually beneficial models in collaboration with local communities.

establish mutually beneficial models in collaboration with local communities.

improve awareness of disabilities and to establish mutually beneficial models in collaboration with local communities.

The Redemption of a Ritual: How Gen Z Revived a 600-Year-Old Ceremony in Seoul

Beneath the ancient, sprawling gingko trees of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), the air doesn’t hum with the usual bass of a modern freshman party. Instead, it echoes with the rustle of blue silk robes and the formal, rhythmic greetings of a 14th-century royal court.

This is Shinbangrye: a scholar’s welcoming ritual rooted in the Joseon Dynasty. For SKKU, which was founded in 1398 as the peninsula’s highest seat of learning, this is not a dusty history lesson. It is a high-stakes, gamified “redemption” of a tradition that once turned dark.

The Dark Legacy of the “Myeonsinrye”

For centuries, the entrance into Sungkyunkwan—Korea’s highest national institution of learning—came with a price. Known as Myeonsinrye (an initiation to “exempt the newcomer from being a stranger”), the ritual was originally intended to build community. However, over the years, it evolved into a feared tool of dominance.

By the middle of the Joseon era, the tradition had grown toxic. Senior scholars often forced newcomers to perform humiliating tasks or provide expensive banquets, a practice so severe that Korean kings once issued royal decrees to ban it. It was a 15th-century version of the “hazing” crisis that plagues modern Western campuses today.

The Gen Z “Debug”: From Hazing to Quests

In the spring of 2026, the students of SKKU—led by the student organization Cheongrang—decided that history was too valuable to cancel, but too flawed to ignore. Their solution? A total “reboot” of the ritual through the lens of modern empathy and storytelling.

The “2026 Shinbangrye” replaced the vertical power dynamics of the past with a horizontal, collaborative mission:

• The “Snack” Diplomacy: Historically, the So-Shinbangrye involved forced tributes. Today, it has been reimagined as a friendly exchange of snacks and tea between seniors and juniors, turning a problematic financial burden into a gesture of camaraderie.
• The Story-Mission: The feared initiation is now a massive, immersive role-playing game. Freshmen must work together to solve a “historical mystery” set in the era of King Sejong the Great, finding clues hidden around the UNESCO-adjacent shrine to rescue “wrongly imprisoned” scholars.

The Voice of the Tradition’s New Guardians

For the students of South Korea’s most historic campus, the event serves as a rare bridge between a high-tech future and a prestigious past. Han In-young, the student leader (Jang-ui) of Cheongrang who oversaw the event, emphasized the symbolic importance of this continuity.

“Built upon a long history and affection for the community, we expect this event to become a meaningful starting point for freshmen to experience the deep roots and spirit of Sungkyunkwan, and remain a precious memory that everyone can enjoy together as one.” Han said.

As the spring sun sets over the stone courtyards, it becomes clear that these students are reviving the past in ways never expected. In a world often fractured by rapid digital change, SKKU’s Gen Z are proving that we can remain connected to our ancestors through a glimpse of current thinking and modern motivation. They are not merely reciting history; they are debugging it—showing that the keys to solving the repeating issues of our present, such as social isolation or the search for belonging, can often be found hidden in the wisdom of the past. By looking back with empathy, they haven’t just saved a tradition; they’ve discovered a timeless solution for moving forward.