Konkuk University () is a private research 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 and one in Chungju. The Seoul campus is located near the Han River, by the Konkuk University Station (subway line number 2 and number 7).
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 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 and the National Research Foundation of Korea and has been accredited by the Korean University Accreditation Institute (KUAI), of the Korean Council for University Education, 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 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 8th best university in South Korea in 2026. The university was ranked at 7th in 2022 and consistently within the top 10 past few years.
Campus Undergraduate Graduate Seoul Campus 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 Graduate School (general) Graduate School of Architecture Graduate School of Law College of Engineering 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 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 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 institutes in the areas of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Architectural Barrier-free Institute Artificial Muscle Research Center Asia Infrastructure Research Center Bio Food & Drug Research Center Bio/Molecular Informatics Center Cancer and Metabolism Institute Center for Animal Resources Center for Eco-Informatics Center for Emerging Market Global Companies Center for IT Enabled Outsourcing Center for SMART Space Technology Research Center for Story & Image Telling Studies Center for Wireless Transmission Technology Climate Research Institute Eco-Food Supply Institute Eco-friendly 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 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, Stanford University professor emeritus Hans Robert Schöler, director of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine
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. The museum originated in Nagwon-dong, Jongno-gu, 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 Nagwon-dong 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 blooms.
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, 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, Hanyang University'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