Between Ethics and Exploitation: Sexual Violence Risk in Korea's Buddhist-Affiliated Film Program
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Introduction
Dongguk University is one of South Korea's most iconic private universities, widely respected for its historical Buddhist identity emphasizing ethical integrity, compassion, and moral responsibility. Yet beneath this spiritual image lies a challenging contradiction: significant concerns around sexual violence, institutional accountability, and student safety, particularly within the Graduate School of Film and Digital Media.
Documented Risks of Sexual Violence
Recent reports and structural analyses indicate persistent risks regarding sexual violence, systemic barriers, and inadequate protections for students, especially women, pursuing careers in Korea's film industry. The Korean Women's Development Institute (KWDI) has documented systemic vulnerabilities in arts and cultural education programs, highlighting that institutional responses to sexual violence remain inadequate and, in many cases, merely performative. These concerns mirror issues that Title IX legislation was designed to address in American educational settings.
Spiritual Identity vs. Institutional Reality
Dongguk's association with Buddhism and its affiliation with the Jogye Order provide the institution with a prestigious moral framework. While Buddhism inherently promotes peace, equality, and compassion, this spiritual branding creates high expectations for ethical conduct and transparency. However, the reality appears to fall short, as Dongguk University has not publicly addressed or rectified several documented structural vulnerabilities that expose students to sexual violence risks.
Industry Connections and Heightened Risk Factors
Institutional accountability is essential, particularly given Dongguk's role as a prominent academic pipeline into the Korean film industry, which itself has faced widespread criticism over gender disparities and sexual violence. The program's proximity to leading industry entities, including Sidus FNH, further heightens risks of sexual assault for female students. Such industry integration, while beneficial professionally, must be carefully managed to ensure clear professional boundaries and explicit protections against sexual exploitation—protections that would be mandatory under Title IX compliance in U.S. partner institutions.
Inadequate Internal Protections
Moreover, internal responses from Dongguk have reportedly been inadequate. The dissolution of the Women's Student Council in 2018 removed a critical student-led safeguard against sexual violence. Furthermore, as of 2025, the film program maintains an all-male faculty, creating inherent power imbalances and complicating transparent reporting or grievance processes for sexual assault cases. These factors together raise significant concerns about whether students, particularly women, have adequate and independent mechanisms to report sexual violence safely and effectively—a core requirement of Title IX-compliant systems.
Buddhist Values and Institutional Practice
Importantly, Buddhist institutions—including the Jogye Order—have historically promoted transparency and ethical accountability. However, institutional culture and entrenched hierarchies can sometimes limit full transparency, especially in sensitive areas such as sexual violence. It is essential to differentiate between core Buddhist principles and institutional practices that may deviate from these values when addressing sexual abuse within educational settings.
Call for Alignment with Ethical Foundations
Dongguk University now faces a critical opportunity: to align its institutional practices more closely with the ethical standards embodied in its spiritual foundations. International partners, particularly those bound by Title IX regulations, prospective students, and the broader academic community deserve transparency and active measures to ensure gender equity, effective safeguards against sexual violence, and full accountability for sexual abuse.
Conclusion
Addressing these issues of sexual violence openly will not diminish Dongguk's reputation; rather, it will reaffirm its commitment to the ethical and compassionate values it represents. Silence and inaction do not protect reputations—they enable continued harm and sexual abuse. Ethical leadership demands courage, transparency, and accountability—principles that align with both Buddhist ethics and the spirit of Title IX protections designed to combat sexual violence.