Hamhung College of Pharmacy in South Hamgyong province recently issued a warning to students about campus dating, ordering them to date in an “experienced and healthy manner.” While the directive stopped short of an outright ban, couples interpret it as a command to keep their relationships hidden.
During a general meeting of professors on Sept. 20, the party committee of Hamhung College of Pharmacy ordered staff to take the issue of students dating seriously, a Daily NK source in South Hamgyong province said recently.
The committee emphasized the need to eradicate unhealthy behavior that undermines academic traditions on campus. It also threatened that if problems arise from dating, the dean, the head of the academic department, and relevant professors would be held collectively responsible.
As a leading national university that accepts top students from across the country, Hamhung College of Pharmacy has many students who live in dormitories or nearby residences rather than with their families.
At elite national universities—referred to as “central-level” universities in North Korea—more students live in dormitories or independently than with their parents, which leads to more campus couples forming.
Students living in dormitories have plenty of opportunities to meet despite sex-segregated housing, and they tend to date more than those who live independently or commute to class, the source said.
Dormitory residents who are dating can also meet on campus at night regardless of curfew hours, allowing them to pursue relationships with relative freedom.
Meanwhile, some students who live independently secretly move in with romantic partners to save money on living expenses.
Schools also charge students for supplies to improve the campus environment, conduct practicals, or equip classrooms with teaching materials. Since campus couples can split these costs, students joke that dating is “a necessity, not a choice.”
School attempts to restore control
As this relatively liberal romantic environment developed on campus, Hamhung College of Pharmacy began cracking down.
According to the source, the campus branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League ordered couples to “date maturely and healthily,” labeling campus dating as “unhealthy behavior that harms academic traditions.”
Because students are adults, the school cannot ban dating entirely, but the order essentially instructs campus couples to meet secretly rather than openly.
This measure is much weaker than previous policies, however. “In the past, you got expelled if you were caught dating, but now they don’t expel students because the professor, dean, and academic department head would be held collectively responsible,” the source said. “So now they’re just telling couples to meet on the sly.”
Students appear confused by the vague directive. They question the meaning of “dating maturely and healthily” and criticize the school’s attempt to control their love lives. Some argue that dating in secret without clear explanations or standards is hardly healthy.
