In this blog post, we’ll examine the background behind the “gongdoli” stereotype attached to engineering students, the problem of insufficient liberal arts education, and possible solutions.

The Term “Gongdoli” and the Reality of Engineering Students

I am an engineering student. Engineering students are often referred to as “gongdoli.” Perhaps because the pronunciation is similar to “gomdoli” (meaning “teddy bear”), many people find the term “gongdoli” more familiar than the term “engineering student.” As this expression has become widely used, it is now easy to find in various media outlets.
However, “gongdoli” is originally a derogatory term for engineering students. It has also been used to disparage men working in factories. In other words, it is a term born out of the prejudice that engineering students lack general education compared to people in other fields. Cultural activities such as attending plays, reading, and appreciating music are often viewed as worlds apart from the lives of engineering students. So why have engineering students come to be perceived in this way?
While there are various reasons, this article will focus on one specific factor: the “lack of liberal arts courses for engineering students.” Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, we learn a balanced curriculum across various subjects. Since most students follow a similar curriculum during this period, science students are not specifically called “gongdoli.” However, upon entering college, students begin to focus their studies on their respective majors.
Students in fields other than engineering can take a relatively diverse range of general education courses and build a broad base of knowledge. Additionally, through these courses, they are exposed to various disciplines and have opportunities to interact with students from different majors. In contrast, engineering students have a very high proportion of major-specific courses in their curriculum, making it difficult for them to invest time in non-major courses. In other words, as they work to complete the major and required courses designated by the university, many engineering students graduate without having had the chance to take as many other courses as they would have liked.

The Reality of Insufficient Liberal Arts Courses for Engineering Students

To examine this issue in more detail, let’s look at university graduation requirements as an example. Most universities require students to earn a certain number of credits to graduate, and each department sets separate minimum credit requirements for both liberal arts and major courses. It is common for students to fill the remaining credits with general education or elective courses after meeting these criteria.
However, engineering colleges often have a much higher proportion of required and designated major courses compared to other colleges. This trend has existed in the past, and while there are differences between universities today, it is not uncommon for engineering programs to require a relatively high number of major credits. In contrast, students in the humanities and social sciences generally have relatively more flexibility to take elective or general education courses based on their interests.
As such, engineering students often have to complete far more university-designated courses than students in other colleges. Consequently, the reality for engineering students is that, even if they want to take general education classes, it is often difficult to do so in practice. Why would engineering students want to focus solely on their major? Why wouldn’t they want to enjoy cultural activities? Why would they want to turn their backs on a well-rounded life? It’s simply that reality prevents them from doing so. In order to graduate around the same time as students in other colleges, engineering students ultimately have no choice but to devote a significant amount of time to their major studies, even today.

Why Liberal Arts Education Is Necessary for Engineering Students

Some might say, “Isn’t it enough to just earn the minimum credits required for graduation? If there are general education courses you want to take, can’t you just take them as electives?” However, such an argument is not much different from telling engineering students to stay on campus longer to take general education courses while students from other colleges graduate and enter the workforce. As fellow students at the same university, I hope you will also try to understand the reality faced by engineering students.
Of course, it is true that major-specific education is more important for engineering students than for students in other disciplines, as they are likely to pursue careers developing and designing specific technologies and products. However, this does not diminish the importance of a liberal arts education. On the contrary, there has been a growing emphasis recently on humanities and social sciences literacy, as well as interdisciplinary thinking, as essential competencies for engineering professionals.
Today, both industry and academia consistently stress that exposure to diverse fields of study is necessary to cultivate creative talent. Technical expertise alone is insufficient to create new value; creative thinking becomes possible only when one understands various fields such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, and the arts. Furthermore, in engineering education, a foundation in the humanities broadens one’s perspective on understanding people and social issues, and plays a crucial role in comprehending how technology intersects with society.
This ultimately demonstrates that major-specific knowledge alone is not all that engineering students need. Moving beyond an era when major-specific study was everything, we are now in an age where the ability to integrate diverse fields is a competitive advantage; therefore, an educational approach that forces engineering students to focus solely on their major warrants reevaluation.
Furthermore, what engineering students need are creative ideas and excellent communication skills. It is well known that the creative ideas of countless inventors and innovators were not born solely in laboratories but were often derived from leisure activities and diverse cultural experiences. This is because new experiences serve as catalysts for connecting existing knowledge and generating new perspectives.
Furthermore, in modern society, the ability to collaborate with others and convey one’s thoughts logically is more important than anything else. Even with outstanding technical skills, it is difficult to remain competitive if one cannot explain and persuade others or solve problems in collaboration with people from diverse fields. Providing engineering students—who will lead the future—with opportunities to develop these communication skills in college is not an option but a necessity.

Solutions for Expanding the Liberal Arts Education of Engineering Students

So, what solutions are needed for engineering students to lead more well-rounded lives? While there may be various approaches, I believe the following alternative is a simple yet effective way to address the most fundamental issue.
First, the university should slightly adjust the weight of the required graduation courses assigned to engineering students. People have the freedom to choose. Currently, engineering students often reach the required number of credits for graduation simply by completing the courses designated by the university. Therefore, it is necessary to provide them with the flexibility to freely choose and study subjects in fields that interest them, in addition to their major courses.
Of course, this does not mean we should neglect major-specific education. The idea is to create an environment where students who wish to study their major in greater depth can take additional major courses, while those interested in the humanities, social sciences, or the arts can freely choose appropriate general education courses.
Second, we should consider recognizing humanities and social science courses that are beneficial to engineering students as major elective credits. Since required major courses form the foundation of a student’s major, it would be difficult to significantly reduce them. However, if some elective major courses could be replaced with courses in the humanities and social sciences, students would be able to experience a broader range of academic disciplines. While these courses do not directly teach technical skills specific to a major, they can indirectly be of great help in understanding and applying one’s major; in today’s world, where interdisciplinary capabilities are increasingly important, they may even translate into a direct competitive advantage.

Moving Beyond the Stereotype of the “Engineer Without a Liberal Arts Education”

Society has so far focused solely on pointing out the lack of general education among engineering students, without deeply reflecting on why this phenomenon occurs. Before labeling engineering students as “lacking in general education” or “lacking basic cultural literacy,” we must first examine why this reality has inevitably come to be.
The perception of “engineering students lacking general education” is not merely an individual issue; it is also closely tied to an educational environment where access to a well-rounded liberal arts education is limited. Therefore, we must face this reality head-on and make concerted efforts to improve it. Rather than merely disparaging engineering students, society and universities must work together to provide the necessary attention and support so that they can grow into well-rounded engineering professionals.
Engineering students are not mere machines dedicated solely to studying. They strive more than anyone else to make people’s lives more convenient and are vital talents who will lead South Korea’s future industries and technologies. What future society needs is not only outstanding technical skills but also a warm perspective that understands people and a broad liberal arts education. Therefore, we must provide engineering students with diverse opportunities for liberal arts education so that they can grow into professionals equipped with both technical expertise and a foundation in the humanities.