Korea University (KU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. Korea University also maintains a satellite campus in Sejong City. Established in 1905 as Bosung College by Lee Yong-Ik, a prominent official of the Korean Empire, Korea University is among South Korea's oldest institutions of higher education, and is the nation's first modern private university. It is named after Goguryeo, an ancient Korean kingdom. Korea University is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SKY universities.
The student body consists of over 28,000 undergraduate students and over 11,000 graduate students. Korea University offers programs in fields such as liberal arts, social sciences, business & economics, and engineering. It has 81 departments in 19 colleges and divisions. It is composed of twenty-two graduate schools as well as eighteen undergraduate schools and colleges. There are eleven auxiliary facilities, including libraries, a museum, and a press office for public relations. It has over 1,500 full-time faculty members with over 95% of them holding Ph.D. or equivalent qualification in their field. The university has produced more than 350,000 graduates, while The Korea University Alumni Association comprises more than 280,000 members.
Korea University's collegiate athletic teams, known as the KU Tigers, compete in the U-League, South Korea's collegiate athletic association, and have been one the most successful programs in college athletics. The university operates multiple athletic clubs and fields teams in sports such as basketball, association football, American football, ice hockey, baseball, and rugby, many of which have origins dating back to the early 20th century. The KU Tiger teams have won multiple national championships across a variety of sports, including basketball, baseball, and association football.
History
Bosung College Korea University was established on May 5, 1905, as Bosung College by Lee Yong-Ik, Treasurer of the Royal Household, under the banner “Education Saves the Country,” with a royal grant from Emperor Gojong. Although it was originally intended to include five departments, the college opened with two initial two-year programs in Law and Plutology, under the leadership of its first president, Shin Hae-yeong, former counselor at the Ministry of Finance of the Korean Empire. Classes were held in the former buildings of the National Russian Language School in Bak-dong, which served as its first campus. As an academic institution of nationalistic origin, it was regarded as a symbol of national pride during the colonial period (1910–1945).
In 1907, the programs were extended to three years and renamed the Department of Law and Department of Economy. The college awarded degrees to its first graduates that year. Over the following years, Bosung College expanded its campus by purchasing buildings in Bak-dong and launched academic publications such as "Chinmok" and "Bupjunghagye." In 1910, the institution petitioned to establish new departments, changed its name to Bosung University, and restructured its departments by abolishing Economy and creating Commerce. Control of the college shifted to Chondogyo leadership in late 1910. By 1915, it was renamed Bosung Law and Commerce College and operated only two departments in compliance with regulations by the Japanese Government General.Shortly after Bosung College was established, the "Korea–Japan Protocol" was signed, and Lee Yong-Ik went into exile to lead the resistance movement against Japan. His exile created financial hardship for the institution. The financial crisis was overcome when Sohn Byong-Hee, a leader of Chundokyo, a nationalist, religious, and political movement at the time, took over the management of the institution. By 1929, the institution once again faced a serious financial crisis as a result of the worldwide recession.
The crisis was alleviated when Kim Seong-su became the president of the college in 1932. At the time of acquisition, Kim was managing Choong-Ang High School and The Dong-A Ilbo, a daily newspaper. In 1934, the main building was completed on a 63,000-pyeong area of land located in Anam-dong. Construction of the library started in 1935 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of Bosung College and was completed two years later. In July of the following year, a large athletic field, was added to the campus. In April 1944, the Japanese colonial government forced Bosung College to change its name and placed it under the supervision of the Japanese authorities. Following the legacy of Bosung Professional School, the predecessor institution was placed under the management of a foundation and relocated to a vast area in Anam-dong, where remarkable facilities were established.
Post-Independence
Following independence in 1945, Bosung College was elevated to that of a university comprising three colleges, Political Science and Law, Economics and Commerce, and Liberal Arts. The goal was to create a major cradle for nurturing talented individuals and cultivating national culture. Upon liberation from the fervent longing for independence from Japan, in the year 4279 by the traditional Korean calendar (1946), Bosung Professional School was reorganized and elevated to Korea University. Hyun Sang-Yun, the first president, initiated an expansion of the campus by purchasing forest and land. In June 1949, Korea University awarded its first bachelor's degree and in September of the same year, the graduate school was established. Yu Chin-O, the fourth president, continued to expand Korea University with the establishment of the Division of Science within the College of Liberal Arts, as well as a fourth college, the college of Agriculture. After that, Kim Seoung-su, the founder of Korea University, became the Vice President of Government of Korea. This influenced the Korea University's development.
During the Korean War, Korea University temporarily relocated classes to Wondae-dong, Daegu, before returning to Seoul after the armistice. The university expanded its academic departments and facilities, including the construction of Geumnanshil and the auditorium. In the mid-1950s, academic restructuring occurred, and the university grew to serve over 3,300 students. Research institutes such as the UN Resources Library and the Korean Institute for Translating Classics were founded in the late 1950s. Korea University introduced its official flag, emblem, and badge and revived the Friendship Games against Yonsei University. Student life was enhanced with new facilities, and the founder Kim Seoung-su was honored with a statue on campus.
On April 18, 1960, amid growing public discontent with the authoritarian rule of President Syngman Rhee and the Liberal Party, approximately 3,000 students from Korea University organized a large-scale protest in response to allegations of massive electoral fraud during the March 1960 presidential election. The students gathered on campus, where they read a formal declaration denouncing the government's abuse of power and lack of democratic integrity. They then marched to the National Assembly Building in central Seoul to demand political reform and free elections. As the students went back to campus after the peaceful demonstration, they were confronted by violent pro-government vigilantes, who many believed to have been mobilized by the state. The event contributed to the initiation of the April 19 Revolution the following day when students and citizens across the nation erupted into protests, that ultimately led to Rhee's resignation and the downfall of the First Republic of Korea. Each year, to commemorate the courage and sacrifice of the students involved, the university hosts the 4.18 Marathon, a symbolic run from the university's main gate to the April 19th National Cemetery in Suyu-dong, northern Seoul, where participants pay tribute to the victims of the struggle for democracy. A monument honoring the Korea University students involved in the April 18 protest was built close to the university's main square, as a permanent tribute to their participation and contribution in the democratic movement that resulted in the April 19 Revolution.In June 1961 the present Liberal Arts building (Seokwan) was completed. Various facilities were also completed such as the museum, the agriculture laboratory, the greenhouse, and other buildings for student services. In the same year, an experimental farm of about 1,680,000 pyeong was added to the facilities. In addition, the Science and Engineering Departments were equipped with laboratories and instruments. In December 1963, the Graduate School of Business Administration, the first of its kind in Korea, was established. In October 1965, Yu Chin-O retired after fifteen years of service as the fourth president of Korea University and was succeeded by Lee Chong-Woo as the fifth president. After 1966, Korea University continued to expand with a gradual increase in the number of departments within the College of Science and Engineering and in the College of Agriculture. The Graduate School of Education was also founded. More facilities, including the new annex buildings, the General Education Building (Kyoyangkwan), and the Mass Communication Building (Hongbokwan), were added.
In October 1970, Kim Sang-Hyup, professor of political science, was appointed as the sixth president, succeeding Lee Chong-Woo who retired in September of that year. In December 1971, a major reorganization of Korea University took place, all Woosuk University colleges, including Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Sciences, Law and Economics, Junior College of Allied Health Sciences, as well as Woosuk University Hospital, was completely integrated into Korea University. In June 1972, the Business Administration Building (Kyoyangkwan) was completed to accommodate the College of Commerce and the Graduate School of Business Administration. In December of the same year, the college of Education was established.
Growth and Development In April 1975, President Kim Sang-Hyup was succeeded by Cha Rak-Hoon who became the seventh president. In December 1976, the college of Commerce was renamed the college of Business Administration. The Graduate School of Food and Agriculture was established in January of the following year. In December 1977, the College of Science and Engineering was separated into the College of Science and the College of Engineering. In addition, the new Central Library, the largest of its kind in South Korea at that time, was opened in March 1978.
In 1980, Korea University received approval to establish a branch campus in Jochiwon with eight departments to accommodate 400 students, and the university dormitory welcomed its first residents. Later that year, new departments were approved under the College of Agriculture, Education, and Liberal Arts on the Jochiwon Campus. Total enrollment for 1981 was adjusted to 5,600. The Ice Hockey Training Center was built in late 1980. In 1981, the Institute of Viral Diseases was designated a WHO Research Collaborative Institution, and two education halls were built on the Jochiwon Campus. The Department of Public Administration moved from the College of Law to the College of Political Science and Economics, and the Aegineung Student Union Building was completed. In 1982, Kim Jun-yeop became the 9th president and Kim Sang-hyup honorary president.