Konkuk University () is a private university founded in South Korea in 1931. Konkuk University is known for its veterinary and art colleges at the Seoul campus. It has two campuses: one in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

and one in

Chungju Chungju () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Uamsan is a mountain located within the outskirts of the city. The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Al ...

. The

campus is located near the Han River, by the Konkuk University Station (subway line no.2).

History

The university was founded in 1931 by Dr. Yoo Seok-chang (pen name: Sanghuh). It was originally known as the Chosen School of Politics (), and was a

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

for future political leaders. In 1959, the school became a "comprehensive university" and was renamed to Konkuk University (from ). In 2016, Konkuk University celebrated its 70th anniversary. A new emblem featuring Sanghuh Hall, the original building for the Chosun School of Politics, was released in December 2015. The university also unveiled a second ox statue and held a major academic symposium. In 2017, Konkuk University was selected for the Leaders in Industry-University Cooperation (LINC+) project by the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

and the

National Research Foundation of Korea The National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF; ) is a research institute for Korean studies. It was established in 2009 through a merger between the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF; ), Korea Research Foundation (KRF; ; establ ...

and has been accredited by the Korean University Accreditation Institute (KUAI), of the

Korean Council for University Education The Korean Council for University Education (KCUE; ) is a private association of four-year higher educational institutions in South Korea intended to promote cooperation between universities and represent their interests, particularly regarding ...

, for two consecutive periods.

Administration and organization

Yoo served as the first president of Konkuk University from 1959 to 1961. In September 2016, Sanggi Min became the university's 20th president. The university has four executive vice presidents: provost and

executive vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

for academic affairs, executive vice president for public affairs, executive vice president for research, and executive vice president for medicine. The board of the Konkuk University Foundation, which governs the university, includes Chairperson Ja-eun Yoo and eleven other board members who each serve 4-year terms.

Academics

Undergraduate and graduate programs

The Seoul campus is composed of thirteen undergraduate colleges and thirteen graduate schools; the GLOCAL Campus in Chungju is composed of seven undergraduate colleges and four graduate schools. Konkuk University was ranked as 7th best university in South Korea in 2022. Seoul Campus (undergraduate) * College of Liberal Arts * College of Science * College of Architecture * College of Engineering * College of Humanities and Social Sciences * College of Business Administration * College of Veterinary Medicine * College of Art and Design * College of Education * Institute of Real Estate Science * Institute of Convergence Science and Technology * Sanghuh College of Life Sciences * Sanghuh College of Liberal Arts Seoul Campus (graduate) * Graduate School (general) * Graduate School of Architecture * Graduate School of Law * Graduate School of Business Administration * Graduate School of Public Administration * Graduate School of Education * Graduate School of Industry * Graduate School of Agriculture * Graduate School of Journalism and Public Relations * Graduate School of Information and Communication * Graduate School of Art and Design * Graduate School of Real Estate * Graduate School of Veterinary Epidemic Prevention Chungju GLOCAL campus (undergraduate) * College of Art and Design * College of Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence * College of Science and Technology * College of Medical Life Sciences * College of Medicine * College of Liberal Arts * College of Innovation Sharing Chungju GLOCAL campus (graduate) * Graduate School (general) * Graduate School of Medicine * Graduate School of Creative Convergence * Graduate School of Education

Research institutes

Konkuk University has 58 affiliated and special

research institute A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...

s in the areas of

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

social science Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...

s, and

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

s. *

Architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

Barrier-free Institute *

Artificial Muscle Artificial muscles, also known as muscle-like actuators, are materials or devices that mimic natural muscle and can change their stiffness, reversibly contract, expand, or rotate within one component due to an external stimulus (such as voltage, c ...

Research Center *Asia Infrastructure Research Center *Bio Food &

Drug Research Drug development is the process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to the market once a lead compound has been identified through the process of drug discovery. It includes preclinical research on microorganisms and animals, filing for regula ...

Center *Bio/

Molecular Informatics ''Molecular Informatics'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Wiley VCH. It covers research in cheminformatics, quantitative structure–activity relationships, and combinatorial chemistry. It was established in 1981 as ''Quantitati ...

Center *

Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

and

Metabolism Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the co ...

Institute *Center for

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

Resources *Center for Eco-Informatics *Center for Emerging Market Global Companies *Center for IT Enabled

Outsourcing Outsourcing is a business practice in which companies use external providers to carry out business processes that would otherwise be handled internally. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to another ...

*Center for SMART Space Technology Research *Center for Story & Image Telling Studies *Center for Wireless Transmission Technology *

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

Research Institute *Eco-Food Supply Institute *

Eco-friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...

Agriculture Products Certification Center *Epic and Literary Therapy Research Institute *Fairy Tales & Translation *Flexible Display Roll To Roll Research Center *Food Safety & Animal Health Research Center at Konkuk University, FSRCKU *Functional Glycoside Conjugater Research Center *Future Energy Research Center *Global & Local Research Institute *

Glocal Glocalization or glocalisation (a portmanteau of ''globalization'' and '' localism'') is the "simultaneous occurrence of both universalizing and particularizing tendencies in contemporary social, political, and economic systems". The concept comes ...

Institute for SMART Communication and Consilience *Glocal Institute of Disease Control *Humanities Research Institute *i-Fashion Technology Center *Institute for Advanced Physics *Institute for Comparative History of Korea and Taiwan *Institute for Conservation of Art *Institute for Smart Green Architecture and Urbanism *Institute for Ubiquitous Information Technology and Applications *Institute of Biomedical and Health Science *Institute of Body & Culture *Institute of Functional Genomics *Institute of Glocal Disease Control *Institute of Inflammatory Diseases *Institute of Intelligent Vehicle and System Technology *Institute of Korean Politics and Society *Institute of Livestock Business Management *Institute of Public Affairs *Institute of Real Estate & Urban Studies *Institute of SMART Biotechnology *Institute of Technology Innovation *Institutional Animal Care and Use committee *Institutional Biosafety committee *International Climate and Environmental Research Center *Knowledge Contents Research Institute *Konkuk International Healthcare Institute *Konkuk SMART FTA Institute *Konkuk Social Policy Research Institute *Konkuk Trade & Tariff Institute *Konkuk University Public Design Research Center *Korea Aerospace Design·Air Worthiness Institute *Korea Hemp Institute *Korea Nokyong Research Center *Korea Sports Turfgrass Research Center *KU Institute of Communication Studies *KU Language and Cognition Research Center *Laboratory Animal Research Center *Life Resource Cooperative Research Institute *Liquid Crystals Research Center *Mathematical Science Research Center *Music Education Research Center *Nano Technology Research Center *New Media Art Laboratory *Physical Activity & Performance Institute *Quantum Institute for Emerging Technologies *Regional Development Design Center *Research Center for Innovative Electricity Market Technology *Research Center for Livestock Industry of North Korea *Research Center for Network and Energy Industries *Research Institute for Eco-based Society *Research Institute of animal models for diseases & stem cell *Research Institute of Art Culture *Research Institute of Basic Sciences *Research institute of Biomedical engineering *Research Institute of Economics & Management *Research Institute of Education *Research Institute of Food Biotechnology *Research Institute of Glocal Culture strategy *Research Institute of Industrial Technology *Research Institute of Inflammatory Diseases *Research Institute of Law *Research Institute of Life & Environment *Research Institute of Meat Science and Culture *Research Institute of Neurobiology *Research Institute of Social Sciences *Research Institute of Urban Administration *SK chemicals - KU Biomaterials Institute *SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Science *SMART SANGHUH Bio Research Institute *Social Eco-Tech Institute *Software Research Center *The Academy of Korea Horse Industry *The Center for Asia and Diaspora *The Center for Middle Eastern Studies *The Institute for the 3Rs *The Research Center for the Korean History of Technology *The Research Institute for Global Management of Technology for Catching Up *The Research Institute of Art and Design *The Research Institute of Medical Sciences *The Research Institute of Natural Science *The Study for Body Culture Institute *Veterinary Science Research Institute

Distinguished professors

*Yongmin Cho, particle physicist * Roger D. Kornberg, Stanford University professor and 2006 Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry *

William F. Miller William F. Miller (November 19, 1925 – September 27, 2017) was an American academic who was professor public and private management emeritus and a professor of computer science emeritus. He was a vice president and provost of Stanford Universit ...

, Stanford University professor emeritus *

Hans Robert Schöler Hans Robert Schöler (born 30 January 1953) is a molecular biologist and stem cell researcher. He is director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster. Biography Hans Schöler was born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada, came to ...

, director of the

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine was founded on 1 April 2001 in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the Max Planck Society. The current managing director is Prof. Sara Wickström. History The Institute ...

Konkuk Language Institute

In 1990, Konkuk University Language Institute began to provide instruction in English and other foreign languages. Courses on Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Vietnamese are available to Konkuk University students and the general public. In 1998, the institute introduced Korean language programs for foreigners with short-term courses lasting 1–2 weeks, as well as longer 3-month courses. The institute also provides training for Korean language teachers.

Campus

Konkuk University Museum

Established in 1963, Konkuk University Museum features 4,532 historical artifacts, including Dongguk Jeongun, one of the

National Treasures of South Korea National Treasure () is a national-level designation within the heritage preservation system of South Korea for tangible objects of significant artistic, cultural and historical value. Examples of objects include art, artifacts, sites, or buildi ...

. The museum originated in

Nagwon-dong Nagwon-dong () is a '' dong'' (neighbourhood) of Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. ''Nagwon'' means "paradise" in Korean. It is a legal dong () administered under its administrative dong (), Jongno 1, 2, 3, 4 ga-dong. Attractions Nagwon Ins ...

Jongno-gu upright=1, Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. It is the historic center of Seoul that contains Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and the Blue House, the for ...

, and in 1985 moved to the Sanghuh Memorial Hall, the building in which the Chosun School of Politics was founded. The museum is open to the public, and special lectures on Korean history and culture are given throughout the year.

Sanghuh Memorial Library

Sanghuh Memorial Library serves as Konkuk University's main library. Opened in 1989, it was the largest library in Asia at the time. As of February 2014, the library had more than 900,000 Korean books and 200,000 foreign language books. Six reading rooms with about 2,200 seats are available, and a reading room on the third floor of the library is open 24 hours a day.

Ilgam Lake

Ilgam Lake is located at the center of Konkuk University's Seoul campus. This swamp was converted to an artificial lake when the university moved the campus from

to the current location in 1954. In the 1950s and 1960s, indoor ice-skating rinks were uncommon, and the lake was used for national competitions. Occupying , the lake accounts for approximately one-ninth of the campus area. To maintain water quality, 650 tons of underground water is added daily, and a motorboat is used to prevent

algal bloom An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in fresh water or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term ''algae'' encompass ...

Student life and university events

Konkuk University has more than 70 student clubs. Foundation Day is an annual ceremony that commemorates Yoo Seok-chang's founding of Konkuk University on May 15, 1946. It is held for students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and guests. Awards are presented to the faculty and staff who have contributed to the university. Around the same time, Konkuk University's student association organizes the Ilgam Lake Festival. This three-day long event features performances and exhibitions by college departments and student clubs. Famous K-pop celebrities are also invited to perform in a concert. In late October, colleges and student clubs stage the Fall Art Festival to showcase their academic achievements and artistic talent. This three-day long event is organized by the Student Club Association.

Recent developments

PRIME Project

On May 3 in 2016, Konkuk University announced that it was selected by the Korean government to participate in the Program for Industrial Needs-Matched Education (PRIME). Higher education institutions receive incentives for restructuring and training students to meet the society's needs under the project. Of the 75 universities that applied, Konkuk University,

Ewha Womans University Ewha Womans University () is a private women's research university in Seoul, South Korea. It was originally founded as Ewha Haktang on May 31, 1886, by missionary Mary F. Scranton. Currently, Ewha Womans University is one of the world's largest f ...

Hanyang University Hanyang University (HYU, ) is a Private university, private research university in Seoul and Ansan (ERICA campus), South Korea. ''Hanyang'' () derives from the Names of Seoul, former name of the capital Seoul used during the Joseon period. The u ...

's ERICA campus, and 18 other universities were chosen. As a result, Konkuk University is expected to receive up to 450 billion won in government funding over three years until 2018. More than 15% will be allocated for scholarships, and a significant portion will be used to improve educational programs and build infrastructure.

Konkuk Institute of Technology

In 2017, Konkuk University introduced the "Konkuk Institute of Technology" to train and prepare students for industries with significant growth potential. The institute includes eight departments in energy engineering, smart vehicle engineering, smart ICT engineering, cosmetics engineering, stem cell and regenerative biology, systems biotechnology, integrative bioscience and biotechnology, and biomedical science and engineering with 333 students. Konkuk University plans to offer a 5-year BS/MS program, through which all students will receive a scholarship for their graduate education as well as a stipend of 300,000 won per month for book purchases and research, at the institute. The registration fee for all incoming students will be waived.

Plus Semester System

As an alternative to the prevalent 2-semester, 4-year undergraduate programs, Konkuk University introduced the Plus Semester System which will allow students to take initiative in designing their own curriculum. The innovative system is part of an effort to make university education more student-focused and tailored to meet changing industry demands. Konkuk students will be able to choose from a variety of options, including the 2+One-Semester On-The-Job Training program, 3+1 Employment program, 7+1 Self-Designed Semester program, and 4+1 Bachelor's and master's degree program. The 2+One-Semester program allows students to gain work experience during the semester and take classes to fulfill course requirements for their majors during the vacation. For the 7+1 program, students will design their plans for external activities prior to the beginning of the semester. The activities are to develop expertise in areas of interest rather than being limited to opening a new business or finding employment. Once the plans are approved, students receive up to 15 credits once they submit completion reports. The Center for Integrated Science and Technology, which will include four departments in biotechnology and another four in engineering, will offer the 4+1 Bachelor's and master's degree program.

Notable alumni

Academia * Shim Hwa-jin, president of

Sungshin Women's University Sungshin Women's University () is a Private university, private women's college, women's university located in Seongbuk District, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was founded by Dr. Sook-Chong Lee in 1936. The university comprises ten colleg ...

Arts and literature *

Chung Han-ah Chung Han-ah (born 1982) is a South Korean writer. Life Chung Han-ah was born in Seoul in 1982. She graduated in Korean Literature from Konkuk University, and completed a master's degree in the same school. She won the 4th Daesan Collegiate ...

, novelist *

Kim Hyesoon Kim Hyesoon (; born 26 October 1955) is a South Korean poet. She was the first woman poet to receive the Kim Su-yeong Literature Award, Midang Literary Award, Contemporary Poetry Award, and Daesan Literary Awards. She has also received the Gri ...

, poet *

Jeon Min-hee Jeon Min-hee () is a South Korean fantasy writer. She was born in 1975, on October 22 and graduated Konkuk University. She has received a bachelor's degree in Politics and Diplomacy. Her debut novel, '' The Stone of Days'', part of the Arund ...

, fantasy writer * Shin Dong-yup, poet *

Shin-ik Hahm Shinik Hahm (born 1958) is a Korean American conductor and a professor in the Practice of Conducting and Music Director of the Yale Philharmonia. Hahm has led North American, South American, European, and Far Eastern orchestras. Recent appeara ...

, conductor Business * Chris Nam, president of the Federation of Korean Associations, USA Civil service, law, and politics *

Jeong Ho-yong General Chung Ho-yong (; born 10 September 1932) is a South Korean politician and army general, who was held the positions of minister of the interior and later minister of defense. He is considered as one of the best friends of Chun Doo-hwan a ...

, politician * Kim Han-gil, politician Entertainment

Popular culture

Konkuk University has been a popular film location for

Korean drama Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean language, Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise ...

s. '' Twenty Again'', a 2015 Korean television series starring

Choi Ji-woo Choi Ji-woo (; born June 11, 1975), born Choi Mi-hyang (), is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful women, she has received critical acclaim for her work in a wide range of melodramas, most notably '' Beautiful ...

and

Lee Sang-yoon Lee Sang-yoon (; born August 15, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in '' Seoyoung, My Daughter'' (2012), '' Angel Eyes'' (2014), '' Liar Game'' (2014), '' On the Way to the Airport'' (2016), '' Whisper'' (20 ...

was filmed at the main campus in Seoul.

Affiliates

* Konkuk University Middle School * Konkuk University High School * Konkuk University Medical Center (KUMC): Located on the west side of the Seoul campus, the current state-of-the-art facility was opened in August 2005 with 875 beds. In 2011, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

certified KUMC as a Health promoting hospital and the Korean government also designated KUMC as a “senior medical center” specializing in cancer and cardiovascular diseases. An international clinic for foreign patients has been operating since 2010. * Konkuk Dairy & Ham * Konkuk Asset Management Corporation * The Classic 500 * Smart KU Golf Pavilion

References

External links

Konkuk University - Official website

Konkuk University - Glocal Campus
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Seoul Universities and colleges in North Chungcheong Province 1931 establishments in Korea Universities and colleges established in 1931 Private universities and colleges in South Korea Gwangjin District