A group of undergraduates at Sookmyung Women’s University boycotted classes for the 16th day Tuesday, demanding the dismissal of two professors whom they have accused of verbal and financial abuse.

The students enrolled in the department of composition have claimed that the two professors ― surnamed Yoon and Hong ― abused their positions repeatedly.

“We strongly demand that the school dismiss the cited professors. One of them even told the students they did not deserve to live and insinuated that they should kill themselves,” the students said at a press conference Monday.

The university is currently conducting an audit on the two professors.

The accusations, while not yet confirmed by the school authorities, have drawn attention to the so-called “apprenticeship” system at music universities. A large portion of Korean musicians’ reputations are determined by who their supervising professor is, thus the use of the word “apprenticeship.”

While it is customary for most university students to help professors, some professors take advantage by forcing students to write papers in their names, do personal chores, and even hand over money. One of the students at Sookmyung said Yoon forced students to buy work by graduates, which students can get for free, according to school policies.

“Because of the apprentice relationship, students are forbidden from giving their own opinions. It is such a long-lasting custom that professors themselves probably don’t realize that they are doing anything wrong,” said a professor from Sookmyung.

In music or art majors, the evaluation of a student’s work is almost entirely based on the professor’s judgment. During Monday’s press conference, a senior student claimed that she was given an “F” due to a minor error in writing a musical score.

A good relationship with a professor is not just confined to the school years, but is also critical for sustaining a musical career after graduating, according to a private music instructor and a former lecturer at a Seoul-based university surnamed Shin.

Very few graduates are offered full-time jobs at orchestras, while the rest become freelancers. As professors work as intermediaries for these non-regular jobs, students find themselves under pressure to be included in these cliques.

In many cases, this relationship is established via pricey lessons that start even before a student enters a university.

“Students attending art-related middle schools or high schools seek teachers at prestigious institutes for lessons. No matter how high the price is, they can’t ignore it because it’s vital to get into their inner circles,” Shin said. “A student of mine jokingly said the money she spent was worth several houses.”

The law prohibits education workers from giving private lessons, and violators can face up to 1 year in prison without labor or a 3 million won fine ($2,900). But in reality, very few students take the chance of reporting the illegal actions and jeopardizing their careers which are tied to their teachers’ names.

In May, a music professor from Seoul National University surnamed Park was sacked after he was found to have sexually harassed and given illegal private lessons for several years. Despite the school’s decision, Park’s students attempted to salvage Park’s tainted reputation by claiming that he was a victim of factual dispute within SNU.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)