Several students who had dinner at Kyung Hee University (KHU) Global Campus Student Center cafeteria on April 14 reported food poisoning symptoms after their meal. Key stakeholders, including KHU Cooperatives and the Global Campus General Student Association (GSA), are currently investigating the incident. Active student participation appears to be essential to reaching a conclusive finding.

Global Campus Student Center student cafeteria enterance

Regarding the issue, KHU Cooperatives is preparing to file a report on the incident. Kim Min-hwa, the secretary of KHU Cooperatives, explained that they became aware of students experiencing food poisoning symptoms after dinner on April 14 through through two sources: a post on the anonymous university community Every Time, and a direct student report. They recognized the issue the following day, April 15, and immediately took action, voluntarily preparing to report the case to the Public Health Administration Division of Giheung-gu Office. The reporting process requires information such as personal details, symptom onset date, types, and frequency of symptoms. The case will be filed once they gather this information.

The GSA is also gathering the necessary information for reporting. They began conducting a survey at 1 p.m. on April 15 to assess the magnitude and causes of the issue. The survey is available through the GSA's Instagram and collects information required for reporting to the Giheung-gu Office.

The causes have been considered in various ways, but nothing is certain at this point. Kim explained that serving leftover pasta and chicken from lunch for dinner may have caused the health issues. The rainy weather that day could have been another contributing factor. However, these are all just assumptions—even the connection between the leftovers and the digestive symptoms remains unverified.

To confirm the incident accurately, student participation is essential. Kim noted that in addition to providing the required information for the local government investigation, volunteers must give their consent for testing procedures such as stool collection and agree to participate under their real names. Without meeting these conditions, the official investigation cannot proceed.

If participation requirements are not met, private testing would be an alternative. Kim remarked, "We are considering reaching out to private testing institutions to investigate the incident if participation requirements are not met." However, unlike tests conducted by the local government, private testing results cannot be used for administrative measures.

The progress will be shared transparently. Kim disclosed that KHU Cooperatives will publicly release all progress information regardless of the results. If testing confirms their responsibility, they will take comprehensive measures, including issuing an apology letter, covering treatment costs for affected students, and modifying problematic operating procedures. Further updates will be available through official channels such as KHU media outlets, KHU Cooperatives, or the GSA.

KHU Cooperatives, which took over the Global Campus Student Center cafeteria since the first semester of 2025 and initially received positive feedback, is now facing hygiene concerns. While various opinions are circulating within the KHU community, everything remains at the assumption stage. This underscores that student engagement is crucial for understanding the real issues at hand.