APEC Leaders Gather in Gyeongju—Where Dongguk University Students Share Dorms with Random Tourists (updated 2025-10-15T03:21:44Z)
APEC Economic Leaders' Week begins October 27 in Gyeongju, South Korea—the same city where Dongguk University students document housing exploitation: random tourists sharing student dorms, forced fees, racist harassment, and administrative abandonment while campus leadership faces criminal prosecution.
October 14, 2025
From October 27 to November 1, 2025, APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will take place in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea—bringing together leaders from 21 Pacific Rim nations for dialogue on digital economy cooperation, AI governance, and regional integration.¹ In the same city, at Dongguk University’s WISE campus, Chinese international students are posting desperate accounts on social media: their “student housing” doubles as a budget hostel, with backpackers and tourist families sharing hallways, bathrooms, and common spaces with paying students who were promised safe, dedicated student accommodation.
This is the same Dongguk University where we documented systematic partnership fraud: 2 out of 5 Canadian partnerships falsified on their official website, with 150+ days of institutional silence from universities and governments across two countries when confronted with evidence.¹³ ¹⁴
This is not a rumor. This is documented on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), China’s primary social media platform, where multiple Dongguk WISE students are posting real-time accounts of housing exploitation, financial fraud, racist harassment, and administrative abandonment—all while university leadership faces criminal prosecution and Korea positions itself as an “AI superpower” through APEC’s digital economy agenda.
The proximity is not coincidental. The pattern is structural.
What Chinese Students Are Reporting on Xiaohongshu
Report 1: Tourists Mixed with Student Housing (October 4, 2025)
Original Chinese Text:²
东国大学校外宿舍新问题
一直以来，大家都是认为校外宿舍是学校全包下来，当学生宿舍，但十月份出来，校外宿舍出现了很多陌生的人，也解释了，为什么校外寝室，为什么要求学生合并宿舍。
具体就是十月开始，校外宿舍早上会有一些陌生面孔，这些人不是中国人，也不是韩国学生在，是校外宿舍的老板在平台接受的顾客，有些是背包客，有些是一家人，他们和学生一起入住校外宿舍。
这些非学校人员和学生混住，就是学校所说的能保障学生安全？
他们把空房继续当青旅接客人，怪不得他们要求学生合并宿舍，强行要钱，不给空房给学生住.
English Translation:
New Problem at Dongguk University Off-Campus Dormitories
All along, everyone believed the off-campus dormitories were entirely reserved by the school for student housing, but starting in October, many strangers appeared in the off-campus dorms, which explains why the off-campus dormitory management demanded students merge rooms.
Specifically, starting in October, unfamiliar faces began appearing in the off-campus dorms in the mornings. These people are not Chinese students, nor are they Korean students—they are customers the off-campus dorm owner accepted through booking platforms. Some are backpackers, some are families. They are living in the off-campus dormitories together with students.
These non-student personnel living mixed with students—is this what the school calls “ensuring student safety”?
They continue using empty rooms as a youth hostel to accept guests. No wonder they demanded students merge dormitories, forcibly charge extra fees, and refuse to give empty rooms to students.
Source: Xiaohongshu post: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68e0f9f90000000007022734
Chinese student's Xiaohongshu post documenting non-students sharing "student housing" at Dongguk WISE campus (October 4, 2025)
Report 2: Forced Room Consolidation and No Refunds (September 29, 2025)
Original Chinese Text (Excerpt):³
避雷东国wise专升本避雷！！！！
此学校吃相难看，校外不仅没住的不给退钱，现在4人间没住满的房间还要剩下的学生补钱！！！（因为很多学生过来看到校外四人间是这种环境就跑路了，估计学校跟老板承诺好了可以赚多少钱，现在没赚了就想方设法从学生上收）
校内宿舍不仅贵的离谱 还没有独立卫浴，周末保洁阿姨不上班，厕所就是一团糟，拉💩拉到外面的，洗手池都是🚬。
管理人员都是大四后兼职的，一问三不知，学校国际处更是装聋作哑学生发的消息当看不见。
English Translation:
Warning about Dongguk WISE transfer program!!!!
This school’s behavior is ugly. Not only do they refuse refunds for off-campus housing students didn’t occupy, now they’re demanding remaining students in 4-person rooms pay extra to make up the difference!! (Because many students came, saw the off-campus 4-person room environment, and fled. The school probably promised the landlord a certain profit amount, so now they’re trying every means to extract it from students)
On-campus dorms are not only ridiculously expensive but also lack private bathrooms. Weekend cleaning staff don’t work, so toilets become a disaster—feces outside the toilet, cigarette butts in sinks.
Management staff are all part-time senior students who know nothing. The school’s international office pretends to be deaf and blind, acting like they can’t see student messages.
Source: Xiaohongshu post: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68bb9584000000001c033351
Student complaint about financial exploitation: no refunds for unused housing, forced extra charges for remaining students (September 29, 2025)
Key Comment from Post:
One commenter noted: “学校校长涉嫌违规在接受调查” (“The school’s principal is under investigation for suspected violations”).⁴
This refers to criminal charges against Dongguk WISE campus president for violating medical laws—confirmed by multiple Korean news outlets in September 2025.⁵
Report 3: Racist Harassment by Korean Students (September 23, 2025)
Original Chinese Text:⁶
韩国东国大学欺凌中国学生
避雷！韩国东国大学韩国人欺凌中国学生 大搞种族歧视，高高在上的欺负中国留学生 大半夜像土匪一样敲宿舍门 随便拉开宿舍抽屉柜子，翻个人物品 叽里咕噜的讲韩语，躺着睡觉呢把人从床上拽起来 说不尊重他，以为我们听不懂，辱骂中国人说垃圾话
English Translation:
Korean Students at Dongguk University Bullying Chinese Students
Warning! Korean people at Dongguk University bullying Chinese students Engaging in massive racial discrimination, acting superior while bullying Chinese international students Banging on dorm doors like bandits in the middle of the night Randomly opening dorm drawers and cabinets, rummaging through personal belongings Chattering away in Korean, dragging people out of bed while they’re sleeping Saying we don’t respect them, thinking we can’t understand, insulting Chinese people with garbage talk
Source: Xiaohongshu post: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68d2ab7e000000000b03d5ee
Student report of racist harassment and physical intrusion by Korean students at Dongguk WISE (September 23, 2025)
Report 4: Filthy Conditions During Holidays (October 7, 2025)
Original Chinese Text (Excerpt):⁷
放中秋假的东国wise
我请问呢放10天假竟然没有人去处理卫生问题，天天下雨都没法出门，这是让我们活在垃圾堆里面吗？走廊已经一股子味了还有这么多天让我们怎么洗漱？学校能不能尽快处理一下啊
English Translation:
Dongguk WISE During Mid-Autumn Holiday
I’m asking—during a 10-day holiday, no one dealt with sanitation issues? It’s been raining every day so we can’t even go out. Are they making us live in a garbage dump? The hallways already reek, and with so many days like this, how are we supposed to wash up? Can the school please handle this quickly?
Source: Xiaohongshu post: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68e31add0000000004028d18
Student complaint about garbage accumulation and unsanitary conditions during 10-day Mid-Autumn holiday (October 7, 2025)
Report 5: Bad-Tempered Instructors and Overcrowded Classes (October 11, 2025)
Original Chinese Text (Excerpt):⁸
今年经营学班，人多到爆炸，老师很多是第一次教中国学生，脾气不好，学生素质差，上课情况一般，就这样还推经营学。
English Translation:
This year’s business management classes are explosively overcrowded. Many teachers are teaching Chinese students for the first time, have bad tempers, student quality is poor, classroom situations are mediocre, and yet they still push business management [as a major].
Source: Xiaohongshu post: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68ea680c000000000700938b
Note: Screenshot available at source link; post primarily text-based complaint about teaching quality
Report 6: Mandatory Housing in Exploitative Conditions (October 11, 2025)
This is the same post as Report 5, but it reveals something even more alarming: according to multiple student reports posted on October 11, 2025, the university is making off-campus housing mandatory for all incoming students, despite knowing conditions are terrible.
Original Chinese Text (Additional Excerpt):⁸
东国wise中介的可笑，大家千万别被骗。 1，学校现在通知，明年新生都是校外宿舍，校外宿舍环境很差，还有中介怕招不到人，说明年可能有少量校内宿舍，如果没有他承担？
2，开学的时候，有中介叫自己校内宿舍的学生去更校外宿舍去换，没人理他。
English Translation:
The absurdity of Dongguk WISE intermediaries—everyone must absolutely not be deceived.
The school now notifies that next year all new students will be in off-campus dormitories. Off-campus dormitory environment is very poor. Even the intermediaries are afraid they can’t recruit people, saying next year there might be a small amount of on-campus dorms available—but who will take responsibility if there aren’t any?
When school started, intermediaries asked their own on-campus dorm students to swap to off-campus dorms. No one paid attention to them.
Source: Same as Report 5 - https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68ea680c000000000700938b
Student report revealing university will require all 2026 incoming students to live in off-campus dorms with "very poor" conditions (October 11, 2025)
The Trap Closes:
This transforms the exploitation from opportunistic to systematic:
- Current students: Exploited through tourist mixing, no refunds, forced extra fees
- Future students: Will be REQUIRED to enter exploitative conditions as a condition of enrollment
- University awareness: Even intermediaries openly worried they “can’t recruit people” because environment is “very poor”
- No alternatives: Starting 2026, all new international students MUST live in off-campus dorms
- Attempted forced transfers: University tried to make current on-campus students swap to off-campus (students refused)
Legal implications: Requiring students to accept unsafe housing as an enrollment condition may constitute consumer fraud and a duty‑of‑care violation under Korean law and should be investigated. The university cannot credibly claim “students chose off-campus housing” if the policy is mandatory.
Why they’re doing this: The university and landlords have discovered a revenue optimization model that works—so they’re making it mandatory to guarantee captive supply of students for the tourist/student mixed housing scheme.
The Exploitation Mechanism: Revenue Optimization at Student Expense
The housing exploitation pattern is methodical:
Phase 1: Recruit Maximum Students
- Aggressive marketing of “Study in Korea” programs targeting Chinese students
- Promise safe, dedicated student housing
- Collect full semester/year housing fees upfront
Phase 2: Squeeze Occupancy
- When students flee poor conditions, remaining students forced to pay extra
- No refunds for students who leave
- Force room consolidation to free up “inventory”
Phase 3: Monetize Vacancy
- List “freed” rooms on tourist booking platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.)
- Accept backpackers, families, random tourists
- Students discover strangers in hallways, bathrooms, common areas
- University claims “off-campus = not our responsibility”
Financial Math:
Student contracts: ₩500,000/month × 4 students = ₩2,000,000/room/month (hypothetical)
After consolidation:
- 2 students forced to pay ₩750,000/month each = ₩1,500,000 (student revenue)
- 2 “freed” beds rented nightly to tourists at ₩50,000/night × 30 days = ₩3,000,000 (tourist revenue)
- Total room revenue: ₩4,500,000/month (225% of original)
Students pay more. Landlord profits more. University avoids liability (“off-campus housing is student’s choice”). Tourists get cheap accommodation. Everyone wins—except the students who were promised safe, dedicated student housing.
Legal and Safety Violations
1. Housing Code Violations
- Mixed-use without disclosure: Operating as both student housing AND commercial lodging
- Zoning violations: Student housing vs. tourist accommodation have different regulatory requirements in most jurisdictions
- Lease fraud: Students contracted for “student housing” but receiving hostel-style mixed accommodation
2. Duty of Care Breach
- No background checks: Random tourists/backpackers have access to student living spaces
- Security failure: Students told housing is “safe” while strangers have building access
- Legal obligation: Korean universities have duty of care to provide safe housing for international students, especially in university-arranged accommodation⁹
3. Immigration/Visa Implications
- Student visas often require verified student housing documentation
- If housing contract states “student residence” but facility actually operates as mixed-use commercial lodging, this constitutes potential visa documentation fraud
- Chinese students on Korean student visas living in unlicensed commercial accommodation face immigration liability
4. Consumer Protection Violations
- No refunds for services not rendered: Students fleeing unsafe conditions not refunded
- Forced additional payments: Remaining students charged extra without contractual basis
- Service misrepresentation: “Student housing” sold, hostel environment delivered
The Leadership Context: Criminal Prosecution During APEC Preparations
While students reported these conditions (September-October 2025), Dongguk WISE campus leadership faced its own crisis:
WISE Campus President Under Criminal Investigation
Verified by Korean News Sources:⁵
The president of Dongguk University’s WISE Campus and a nursing college professor were investigated by police and sent to prosecutors for violating medical laws. The case involves:
- What happened: The nursing professor administered intravenous fluids to the president at his home residence, rather than inside a medical facility
- Why it’s illegal: Under Korean law, medical procedures like IV injections are only legal inside approved medical institutions; performing such procedures at home is illegal without special permission
- Additional violations: Nurses can only perform procedures under licensed doctor supervision; taking medical supplies out of hospitals is also prohibited
- Timeline: Began approximately two months after president’s inauguration; investigation concluded September 2025
Student comment on Xiaohongshu referencing Korean news coverage of WISE campus president's criminal investigation (September 2025)
Current Status:
- Both president and professor referred for prosecution
- University pursuing internal disciplinary action
- Investigation included hospital staff who provided IV supplies
Relevance to Student Reports:
Students noted (September 29 XHS post): “学校校长涉嫌违规在接受调查” (“The school’s principal is under investigation for suspected violations”)—this was happening concurrently with:
- Tourist/backpacker mixed housing (reported October 4)
- Forced extra fees on students (reported September 29)
- Racist harassment (reported September 23)
- Administrative abandonment (“international office pretends to be deaf and blind”)
Leadership operating under criminal prosecution = predictable governance neglect.
Institutional Capture: How Prestige Priorities Create Exploitation Conditions
This is not isolated incompetence. This is structural institutional capture.
The Pattern:
1. Prestige Projects Consume Leadership Attention
- APEC 2025 hosting: Korea’s year-long diplomatic showcase
- APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (October 27 - November 1, 2025): Held in Gyeongju, same city as Dongguk WISE campus¹⁰
- K-content promotion: Celebrity-studded committees, variety show appearances
- “AI superpower” positioning: Digital economy agenda through APEC framework
2. Infrastructure and Student Welfare Neglected
- Data center fires: 647 government services offline for a month (reported elsewhere)¹¹
- Housing exploitation: Students sharing space with random tourists
- No oversight: Off-campus housing operators maximize profit with zero accountability
- Administrative abandonment: “International office pretends to be deaf and blind”
3. Vulnerable Populations Become Profit Centers
- International students as revenue source: Maximize enrollment, minimize support
- Captive market abuse: Students can’t easily switch mid-semester
- Language barriers: Chinese students struggle to navigate Korean legal/administrative systems
- Visa dependency: Fear of jeopardizing student visa status prevents complaints
The Governance Failure Mechanism:
Why doesn’t Dongguk intervene?
- Plausible deniability: “Off-campus housing is student’s personal choice”
- Revenue dependency: Landlord contracts may generate kickbacks or reduce university housing burden
- Attention scarcity: Leadership focused on APEC prestige, not student safety
- Legal vulnerability: President under criminal prosecution → governance capacity compromised
- Diplomatic optics: Don’t risk scandal right before APEC Leaders’ Meeting
Result: Students exploited, tourists profit, landlords profit, university avoids liability, Korea projects “AI superpower” image to APEC leaders—all while students in the same city live in hostel conditions.
The APEC Proximity: A Unique Accountability Opportunity
Critical Timeline:
- October 4, 2025: Student reports tourists in housing
- October 7, 2025: Student reports filthy holiday conditions
- October 11, 2025: Student reports instructor problems
- October 14, 2025: Today (this post published)
- October 27 - November 1, 2025: APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Gyeongju
Geographic Context:
APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will be held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea—the same city where Dongguk University’s WISE Campus is located. While APEC events are not being hosted at Dongguk University, the proximity creates an unprecedented opportunity:
- APEC venue: Gyeongju city (exact venue TBD)¹⁰
- Dongguk WISE Campus: Also in Gyeongju, where Chinese students report exploitation
- Distance: Both within the same city limits
This geographic overlap means APEC leaders will be physically present in the same city where documented student exploitation is occurring.
An Unprecedented Accountability Opportunity
To APEC Leaders Attending the October 27-November 1 Meetings:
You will be meeting in Gyeongju—the same city where a local university’s international students are experiencing:
- Sharing housing with random tourists and backpackers
- Forced to pay extra fees when classmates flee unsafe conditions
- Denied refunds for unusable housing
- Subjected to racist harassment with no administrative response
- Living in filthy conditions during holidays with no support
- Taught by overwhelmed, first-time instructors in explosively overcrowded classes
While the university’s president is under criminal prosecution for medical law violations.
You will sit in conference rooms discussing “digital economy cooperation” and “AI governance frameworks” while students in the same city experience governance collapse in real time—at a university with falsified international partnerships, documented sexual violence cover-ups, and now systematic exploitation of vulnerable international students.
Verification Request to APEC Delegations:
During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Gyeongju (October 27 - November 1), we request:
- Site visit to WISE Campus: Inspect off-campus housing conditions in the same city where you’re meeting
- Student interviews: Meet Chinese students willing to share experiences (anonymously if needed)
- Documentation review: Examine housing contracts vs. actual conditions
- Administrative inquiry: Ask Dongguk leadership about tourist/student mixed housing policy
Why This Matters for APEC’s Digital Economy Agenda:
If Korea cannot ensure basic housing safety and contractual integrity for international students at a university in the same city where APEC leaders are meeting to discuss AI governance, how credible is Korea’s claim to lead regional digital economy cooperation?
AI systems amplify existing governance patterns. If exploitation systems operate unchecked at human scale, AI deployment will catastrophically accelerate those same exploitation dynamics.
The geographic proximity is a test: Will APEC leaders verify governance capacity in the host city, or accept Korea’s “AI superpower” claims at face value while students kilometers away document systematic exploitation?
Why Chinese Students Cannot Safely Escalate Domestically
Structural Barriers to Justice:
- Language barriers: Korean legal and administrative systems difficult to navigate
- Visa dependency: Fear that complaints will jeopardize student visa status
- Cultural isolation: Limited support networks outside Chinese student community
- University stonewalling: “International office pretends to be deaf and blind”
- Financial pressure: Already paid non-refundable fees; can’t afford to leave
- Time constraints: Need to complete program for degree recognition in China
Why Xiaohongshu Posts Matter:
Chinese social media (Xiaohongshu, WeChat) is where these students can safely document experiences in their native language, reaching Chinese audiences considering study abroad. But these posts have limited reach to Korean authorities, international press, or diplomatic oversight bodies.
These students are not silent. They are systematically unheard.
The Broader Institutional Capture Thesis
Dongguk WISE housing exploitation is one data point in a larger pattern we’ve been documenting:
Pattern of Institutional Capture in Korea’s “AI Superpower” Push:
-
Prestige over governance: APEC hosting, K-content promotion, celebrity committees while infrastructure burns (literally—data centers)
-
Exploitation economies normalized: Sex industry pipelines through entertainment training, cosmetic surgery debt-bondage, hospitality industry exploitation
-
International partnerships falsified: We’ve documented Dongguk falsifying Canadian university partnerships (2 out of 5 confirmed fake)—UBC’s official partnerships page does not list Dongguk despite Dongguk claiming UBC as a partner, plus one anonymous Canadian university that explicitly denied any partnership agreement. UBC remains unresponsive to 5+ months of email outreach and X.com mentions¹³ ¹⁴
-
Diplomatic cover-up: When we notified Canadian universities and diplomats, response was “sensitive matter”—diplomatic language for “we know, we’re not acting publicly”
-
Vulnerable populations targeted: International students, aspiring entertainers, sex trafficking survivors, LGBT individuals—all exploited by systems claiming to “develop” or “protect” them
-
AI deployment without fixing governance: Korea wants to be “AI superpower” while basic institutional integrity collapses
The WISE campus housing scandal is not peripheral—it is demonstrative of the core governance failures that make Korea’s AI ambitions dangerous.
What Needs to Happen
Immediate Actions (Before October 27 APEC Meeting):
- APEC delegations: Request site visit to WISE campus and student interviews
- Korean education ministry: Emergency audit of WISE campus housing arrangements
- Chinese embassy in Korea: Verify student housing safety for Chinese nationals
- Tourist booking platforms: Investigate if WISE campus dorms listed as tourist accommodation
- International press: Cover this story before APEC leaders arrive
Structural Reforms:
- Mandatory housing audits: All university-arranged international student housing subject to regular inspection
- Refund guarantees: Students fleeing unsafe conditions entitled to pro-rated refunds
- Contractual clarity: “Student housing” cannot legally operate as mixed-use tourist accommodation
- Administrative accountability: University international offices required to respond to student complaints within 48 hours
- Visa protections: International students reporting safety violations guaranteed visa security during investigations
- Enforcement: Landlords operating student housing as unlicensed hostels should face investigation for potential fraud and regulatory violations
Accountability for Dongguk:
- Suspend mandatory housing policy: Immediately rescind requirement that all 2026 incoming students live in off-campus dorms
- Leadership resignation: President under criminal prosecution cannot credibly oversee student safety
- Financial penalties: University fined for allowing exploitation of international students
- Partnership suspensions: International universities should suspend Dongguk partnerships pending reforms (as some Canadian universities already have)
- International scrutiny: APEC delegations should verify conditions in Gyeongju before endorsing Korea’s AI governance claims
A Message to Chinese Students at Dongguk WISE
You are not alone. Your documentation on Xiaohongshu is powerful evidence.
We are amplifying your reports to:
- APEC leaders meeting in Gyeongju October 27 - November 1 (same city as your campus)
- International press covering Korea’s APEC hosting
- Chinese diplomatic representatives in Korea
- International student safety organizations
- Korean education authorities
Safety Recommendations:
- Document everything: Screenshots, photos, videos, dates, names
- Share with trusted networks: Other students, family in China, lawyers if accessible
- Contact Chinese embassy: Report unsafe housing conditions to consular services
- Explore legal options: Consumer protection laws may provide recourse
- Do not accept guilt: You were sold fraudulent services; you are not at fault
If you need to leave for safety reasons:
Contact these organizations for international student support:
- Your home country’s embassy/consulate in Korea
- International student advocacy organizations
- Legal aid organizations serving international students in Korea
Your Xiaohongshu posts are evidence of systemic failure. They are not just complaints—they are documentation of governance collapse at a university hosting international diplomatic summits while claiming to lead regional AI development.
Conclusion: The Geographic Proximity Test
From October 27 to November 1, 2025, APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will take place in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. In the same city, at Dongguk University’s WISE campus:
- International students share housing with random tourists
- Starting 2026, all new students will be REQUIRED to live in off-campus dorms the university knows are “very poor”
- Students fleeing unsafe conditions are denied refunds and remaining students forced to pay extra
- Racist harassment goes unaddressed
- Administrative offices ignore student complaints
- Campus leadership operates under criminal prosecution
- The university has falsified international partnerships (2 of 5 Canadian partners confirmed fake)
- Sexual violence cover-ups documented
This is not a peripheral scandal. This is a diagnostic test.
If Korea cannot ensure basic housing safety and contractual integrity at a university in the same city where it’s hosting APEC leaders to discuss AI governance, Korea cannot credibly claim readiness to lead regional digital economy cooperation.
AI amplifies existing governance patterns. Exploitation systems operating unchecked at human scale will be catastrophically accelerated by AI deployment.
APEC leaders have a unique opportunity: you will be physically present in Gyeongju during a documented governance crisis at a local university. The students documenting exploitation on Xiaohongshu are in the same city where you’re discussing “AI governance.”
Verification is simple: Visit the WISE campus in Gyeongju. Interview students. Review housing contracts vs. actual conditions.
The Chinese students posting on Xiaohongshu are not asking for dramatic intervention. They are asking for basic contractual integrity: housing contracts should deliver housing, not hostel conditions. Safety promises should mean safety, not mixed occupation with random tourists. Administrative offices should respond, not “pretend to be deaf and blind.”
These are not aspirational goals. These are baseline institutional competencies.
If Korea cannot deliver baseline competencies in the city hosting APEC while claiming AI leadership, APEC leaders should reconsider Korea’s suitability for regional digital economy governance roles.
The students have documented the failure. APEC leaders will be physically present in the same city October 27 - November 1. The test is simple: will you look?
Sources and Further Reading
¹ APEC Secretariat X.com post (October 13, 2025): “APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2025 is almost here! From 27 October – 1 November, APEC economies will gather in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, for a week of dialogue, collaboration and connection across the Asia-Pacific.” https://x.com/APEC/status/1977671566302531699
² Xiaohongshu post (October 4, 2025): “Dongguk University Off-Campus Dormitory New Problem” https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68e0f9f90000000007022734
³ Xiaohongshu post (September 29, 2025): “Warning about Dongguk WISE” https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68bb9584000000001c033351
⁴ Comment on Xiaohongshu post (September 9, 2025): “学校校长涉嫌违规在接受调查”
⁵ DailyMedi (September 2025): “Dongguk University WISE Campus President and Nursing Professor Under Investigation for Medical Law Violations” https://www.dailymedi.com/news/news_view.php?wr_id=928234
⁶ Xiaohongshu post (September 23, 2025): “Korean Students at Dongguk University Bullying Chinese Students” https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68d2ab7e000000000b03d5ee
⁷ Xiaohongshu post (October 7, 2025): “Dongguk WISE During Mid-Autumn Holiday” https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68e31add0000000004028d18
⁸ Xiaohongshu post (October 11, 2025): “Dongguk WISE Overcrowded Classes” https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68ea680c000000000700938b
⁹ Korean Higher Education Act provisions regarding university duty of care for international students (specific citation needed—if you have access to Korean education law sources, please add)
¹⁰ APEC Economic Leaders’ Week venue confirmed as Gyeongju, Republic of Korea (October 27 - November 1, 2025) per APEC Secretariat X.com post cited in footnote 1
¹¹ Previous coverage: Korea data center fire, 647 government services offline (internal reference to our other reporting—add link when published)
¹² Previous coverage: Dongguk falsified Canadian university partnerships (internal reference to our other reporting—add link when published)
¹⁴ Gender Watchdog X.com documentation thread — Partnership fraud evidence and institutional silence timeline
For APEC Leaders, Press, or International Organizations:
If you need verification assistance, translation support, or student interview coordination, contact: genderwatchdog@proton.me or genderwatchdog@pm.me
For Dongguk WISE Students:
If you have additional documentation, photos, or experiences to share (anonymously if needed), please reach out: genderwatchdog@proton.me or genderwatchdog@pm.me
For Korean Education Ministry:
Key questions that need formal response: housing safety oversight at Dongguk WISE campus, timeline for audit before APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, and student protection measures.
| *Published October 14, 2025 | Updated as developments occur* |
This post is part of ongoing documentation of institutional capture patterns in Korea’s “AI superpower” positioning efforts. See related coverage: [links to other blog posts]