Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a Flagship Korean National University located in Seoul, South Korea. The university is widely regarded as the undisputed top university in Korea by reputation, ranking, and output.
The university has three campuses: the main campus in Gwanak District and two additional campuses in Daehangno and Pyeongchang County. The university comprises sixteen colleges, one graduate school and nine professional schools. The student body consists of nearly 17,000 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate students. According to data compiled by KEDI, the university spends more on its students per capita than any other university in the country that enrolls at least 10,000 students.
History
Pre-establishment
Seoul National University (SNU) originates from various educational institutions established by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. Several of them were integrated into various colleges when SNU was founded later.
To modernize the country, Gojong initiated the establishment of modern higher education institutions. By means of the issue of a royal order, the law academy Beopkwan Yangseongso has been founded on March 25, 1895. It produced 209 graduates including the later envoy Yi Tjoune. Hanseong Sabeomhakgyo (established in 1895), a training school for teachers and Euihakkyo (1899), a medical school, are also considered the origins of respective colleges.
After the proclamation of the Korean Empire in 1897, Gojong, the then emperor, was motivated to create more modern education institutions. In 1899, a medical school was established. This school changed its name several times to Daehan Euiwon Gyoyukbu and Gyeongseong Euihak Jeonmunhakgyo (Gyeongseong Medical College) and finally became College of Medicine of SNU. In 1901, a department for nursing was established, which was the forerunner of the later College of Nursing.
During the Japanese rule, Keijō Imperial University was established as one of Japan's nine imperial universities. After World War II and the independence of Korea, the name of the university was changed from Keijō Teikoku Daigaku (京城帝国大学) to Gyeongseong Daehak (경성대학, 京城大學, Gyeongseong University). The Hanja that were used in the name were pronounced in the Korean reading and the attribute "Imperial" was removed. The renaming to "National" was based on the academic nationalism supported by the US military regime in Korea at the time.
Establishment
SNU was founded on August 27, 1946, by merging ten institutions of higher education around the Seoul area. The schools which have been merged were: Gyeongseong (Seoul) University (Gyeongseong (Seoul) Daehak, 경성(서울)대학) Gyeongseong College of Education (Gyeongseong Sabeomhakgyo, 경성사범학교) Gyeongseong Women's College of Education (Gyeongseong Yeoja Sabeomhakgyo, 경성여자사범학교) Gyeongseong Law College (Gyeongseong Beophak Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성법학전문학교) Gyeongseong Industrial College (Gyeongseong Gongeop Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성공업전문학교) Gyeongseong Mining College (Gyeongseong Gwangsan Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성광산전문학교) Gyeongseong Medical College (Gyeongseong Euihak Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성의학전문학교) Suwon Agriculture College (Suwon Nongnim Jeonmunhakgyo, 수원농림전문학교) Gyeongseong College of Economics (Gyeongseong Gyeongje Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성경제전문학교) Gyeongseong Dentistry College (Gyeongseong Chigwa Euihak Jeonmunhakgyo, 경성치과의학전문학교)
The first president was Harry Bidwell Ansted. For over a year and a half, there was a protest movement by students and professors against the law of the U.S. military government in Korea merging colleges. Finally, 320 professors were fired and more than 4,950 students left the school. The university's second president was Lee Choon-ho (), who served beginning in October 1947.
The College of Law was founded by merging the law department of Kyŏngsŏng University (Keijō Imperial University) with Kyŏngsŏng Law College. The university absorbed Seoul College of Pharmacy in September 1950, as the college of Pharmacy. This had previously been a private institution.
In 1950, during the Korean War, the university was occupied by North Korea. During which, the Seoul National University Hospital massacre occurred. The university then temporarily moved to Busan and merged with other universities in South Korea.