Two prestigious Seoul-based private universities, Korea and Yonsei, will hold an event Tuesday calling for a halving of tuition fees and expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s plan to spend 1.5 trillion won ($1.3 billion) of next year’s budget to help ease the heavy tuition burden, the student body of Korea University said Wednesday.

The rival schools will hold the event as a pre-event to the annual Korea-Yonsei University Friendship Game, a hotly contested high-profile collegiate rivalry, in which they compete in team sports such as football, rugby, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. This year’s friendship game is scheduled for Sept. 23-24.

The event will feature cultural events and speech opportunities for students to speak on the tuition fee problem. The organizers will also invite public figures such as lawmakers and celebrities to raise their voice on tuition fees.

“Students from two schools will develop this year’s game into an cooperative event in which we all can voice together on social issues,” said Yoo Ji-young, vice president of Korea University student council. “It will be an opportunity for us to raise our voice about the most desperate issue for college students together with citizens.”

The Education Ministry proposed earlier the 1.5 trillion won plan to provide students with college tuition subsidies, but civic organizers and students have showed dissatisfaction, saying “it will not be a fundamental solution to the tuition problem, because it will not lower tuition fees but just expand scholarships.”

A nationwide rally is expected to be held by about 700 members of civic groups, students and parents to call for half-priced tuition and better public education on Sept. 29.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)