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Korea University (KU; Korean: 고려대학교) 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.

Campus

The Seoul Campus of Korea University is located in the Seongbuk District of Seoul. It has a total area of 946,177 sq. meters, or approximately 94 hectares. The campus is divided into three different areas: Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and a Green Campus, which all span through Anam-dong and Jongam-dong neighborhoods.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Korea University's Humanities and Social Sciences Campus is located in Seongbuk District, covering the areas of Anam-dong and Jongam-dong. It serves as the base for a range of academic departments, such as the Graduate School of Law, Business School, College of Liberal Arts, College of Political Science and Economics, and College of Education. The campus also hosts the College of Media, College of International Studies, School of Design and Art, School of Psychology, and the Department of Free Majors. The campus is distinguished by its architectural style, which prominently features stone construction across several main buildings such as the Centennial Memorial Hall, Central Library, International Studies Hall, Inchon Memorial Hall, SK Future Hall, LG-POSCO Building, and the Main and West Buildings. These structures create a cohesive, fortress-like aesthetic that draws inspiration from European collegiate architecture.Central Square, or Central Plaza, features an above-ground plaza with three subterranean floors, covering a total floor area of 38,907 square meters (11,769 pyeong). Construction began on June 30, 1999, and was completed on March 5, 2002, as part of three master plans commemorating the university's centennial. The plaza serves as a central hub on campus, facilitating dynamic social interaction and access for all university members. Facilities within include reading rooms, the CJ Creative Library (CCL), One-Stop Service Center, Global Service Center, Social Service Organization, KU Pride Club Lounge, Health Center, Student Counseling Center, administrative offices, various welfare facilities, and an underground parking garage. The subterranean levels of Central Plaza are interconnected with those of SK Future Hall, Centennial Memorial Samsung Hall, and LG-POSCO Hall. Adjacent to the plaza stands the Main Building. The six-story Gothic stone structure, designed by Dong-jin Park during the Japanese colonial period, was completed on August 31, 1934. The building was originally used as classrooms. Now it houses the President's Office and several administrative departments. The Main Building has historical and architectural value and as a result has been designated as Historic Site No. 285, and it is protected as a Historical Landmark.

Organization

Colleges and schools

Korea University's 69 academic departments and programs are organized into 27 colleges and schools:

President's Room

The President's Room of Korea University consists of several offices that support the president's administrative, strategic, and oversight functions. These are the Office of the President, the Office of Planning & Budget, the Office of Management Strategy, and the University Audit Team, which includes the Office of Research Audit.

The Office of the President at Korea University serves as the executive center of the university, assisting the president in managing responsibilities across academic, administrative, and external affairs. Operating under the office, the Secretariat is responsible for managing the president's schedule, overseeing internal and external event coordination, handling official protocol for university ceremonies, and producing communications and publications that document the president's activities and public engagements.

The Office of Planning & Budget is tasked with setting the strategic course of Korea University and managing its financial operations. It has three teams: the Planning Team, which creates mid- and long-range institutional plans and plans for policies; the Budget Team, which is responsible for financial planning, budget, and resource allocation; and the Evaluation Team, which carries out performance reviews to encourage institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement.

The Office of Management Strategy is in charge of improving management functions at Korea University. The office is responsible for strategies for operational efficiency, long-term growth of the university, and maintaining institutional competitiveness. It helps the university have a data informed decision making-active organization while supporting functions model that aligns with the strategic objectives set out by the institution.

The University Audit Team serves as an independent body committed to promoting transparency, legal compliance, and accountability throughout Korea University. The team conducts audits at each of the university's central administrative offices, each college and graduate school, and all affiliated and subordinate organizations. The types of audits are administrative audits, financial audits, management consulting, safety audits, and computer audits over research institutes and projects supported by the national treasury. The team provides legal advice, monitor litigation, and work to avoid legal issues, on-campus and off-campus.

Academics

Admissions

As one of Korea's prestigious SKY universities, KU's Regular Admission (정시) is fiercely competitive, requiring scores in approximately the top 1% of the CSAT percentile. Admissions are based on the applicant's high school transcripts and scores on the South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test. In 2016, KU's freshman class entering under the regular admission had a 5.13% acceptance rate. For top programs like medicine, business, or engineering, the CSAT cutoff often falls in the high 90s percentile. Regular Admission for most majors is 100% CSAT‑based, though some fields (such as sports or arts) may also require practical exams. Meanwhile, Early Admission (수시) evaluates GPA, school records, essays, interviews, and extracurriculars, with competition ratios reaching 28–30 applicants per seat in sought‑after majors.

Enrollment is divided into standard quota admissions (정원내) and additional categories outside the quota (정원외). Early Admission includes several tracks, such as the School Recommendation Track (학교추천전형), which emphasizes high school grades and requires a nomination from the applicant's school; the Academic Excellence Track (학업우수전형), which evaluates applicants based entirely on submitted documents; and the Aptitude Fit Track (계열적합전형), which combines document review with interviews. Additionally, an Essay-Based Track (논술전형) is available, assessing applicants through a written exam. Certain specialized tracks, such as those for working individuals or underrepresented groups, are also part of the early admission system.

Regular Admission focuses primarily on performance in the College Scholastic Ability Test, with applicants selected based either on CSAT scores alone or in combination with high school academic records. Korea University typically operates within the Group A (가군) of the national university application system. Some academic programs, especially those in emerging and high-demand fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Smart Security, and Semiconductor Engineering, offer expanded enrollment and may include contract-based tracks in partnership with leading companies or government institutions. Many tracks require applicants to meet minimum CSAT standards, usually based on performance in Korean, Math, English, and Science or Social Studies (탐구), along with mandatory completion of the Korean History section. The university does not restrict subject selection within Korean and Math, but Science or Social Studies subjects must be drawn from different academic fields to be valid.

Athletics

Korea University is a member of the Korea University Sports Federation (KUSF) and its men's association football, men's basketball, baseball, and men's ice hockey teams participate in the KUSF U-League. Korea University's mascot and symbol is the tiger and its student-athletes are informally known as "Tigers". It has a historic athletic rivalry with the nearby Yonsei University which dates back to the Japanese occupation era. Outside KUSF-sanctioned competitions, both institutions also compete in an annual "friendship games" across two days each fall in five team sports – football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey and rugby – a tradition dating back to the 1940s.

Korea University has been important in developing sports in South Korea. Many of its athletic programs have historical significance, national impact, and have dominated the Korean collegiate athletic scene for a very long time. The football team, created in 1923 during Japanese occupation, helped spur the early growth of modern sports in Korea. It produced key national players, including goalkeeper Hong Duck-Young, who participated in the 1948 Summer Olympics, and several members of the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad such as Hong Myung-Bo, Cha Du-Ri, and Park Chu-Young. The rugby team, founded in 1929, played the first recorded rugby match in Korea. The baseball team was founded in 1948, disbanded during the Korean War, and later revived. It won its first College Baseball Federation title in 1960 and produced notable athletes such as pitcher Sun Dong-Yeol. The basketball team, formed in 1929, won the first Chosun National Basketball Tournament in 1931 and has continued to supply talent to Korean professional basketball. The ice hockey team, established in 1939, gained recognition by winning the college division of the first Ice Hockey League in 1946. Since the construction of an on-campus ice rink in 1998, the program has focused on regaining its competitive standing.

Rivalry with Yonsei University

The rivalry between Korea University and Yonsei University, the country's top two private schools, regularly gains national attention. There is an annual fall sports festival between the two universities. Since 1956, the annual Korea–Yonsei University Friendship Games comprises five events every year: Football, Rugby, Baseball, Basketball, and Ice Hockey.

The history of the Yonsei–Korea rivalry: Yeonhee College, the forerunner of Yonsei University, and Boseong College, the forerunner of Korea University participated in the fifth Jeonbok. It was the confrontation between the soccer team of Boseong professional school and the soccer team of Yeonhee professional school in the semi-finals of the eighth Jeonbuk Soccer Contest held in Kyungsung Stadium in 1927.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)