By Chung Hyun-chae

Ewha Womans University students have called the school to scrap a plan to launch a night college which they claim would damage the university's reputation as the nation's top women's university.

"Given that working class people can enter Ewha Womans University more easily than high school seniors who must have good school records or excellent scores on the university entrance exam, I am concerned that the school's competitiveness would drop," said Lee Ye-jun, 21, a sophomore at Ewha. "The problem is that all students will receive the same diploma regardless of how they entered the university."

Led by the student council, some students picketed the school's plan on the campus, Wednesday.

"We are angry at President Choi Kyung-hee because she did not discuss the school's projects with the students," the council said in a statement.

The council also plans to put up handwritten posters against the night college project and inform the alumni of the school's arbitrary decision.

Ewha was designated as an additional participant of the education ministry's project to establish night colleges specializing in lifelong education on July 16.

The ministry has pushed forward such a project to pave the way for vocational high school graduates who choose to work instead of going to a traditional college, so they continue their higher education while working.

Ewha plans to set up a college called the Light up Your Future in Ewha (LiFE) in September in which students could study new media, health and fashion industries.

"We participated in the project to help those who are deprived of an opportunity for education," an Ewha spokeswoman surnamed Lee told The Korea Times.

She stressed that the university will select students for LiFE with a separate quota, so that ordinary high school seniors who enter with regular college admission process will not face disadvantages.

Along with Ewha, Dongguk University, Changwon National University in South Gyeongsang Province, and Hanbat National University in Daejeon were also selected.