South Korean Lawmaker Calls for Closure of ‘Xi Jinping Room’ in Top University

Critics say a library space honoring the Chinese leader highlights Beijing’s influence operations at Seoul National University.

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won (R) speaks in support of the student group Truth Forum at a press conference held at Seoul National University in South Korea on April 15, 2025. Hyangmae Jung/The Epoch Times

SEOUL—A South Korean lawmaker has joined student calls to shut down Seoul National University’s (SNU) “Xi Jinping Collection Room,” a section of the main library that houses more than 10,000 books and videos donated by the Chinese leader after his visit to the country in 2014.

Na Kyung‑won, a member of the People Power Party, joined the Truth Forum student group at a rally on the SNU campus on April 15. They urged the university to remove what they called the propaganda collection of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), claiming that the materials undermine academic freedom and national interests. They presented a petition with more than 2,000 signatures from students and community members.