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Kookmin Daehaggyo
국민대학교
Motto이교위가(以校爲家) 사필귀정(事必歸正)
Motto in English
C3 (Change, Chance, Challenge)
TypePrivate
EstablishedSeptember 1946; 77 years ago (1946-09)
ChairmanChaegyeom Kim
PresidentLim Hong-Jae
Academic staff
647 (2017)[1]
Undergraduates14,944 (2017)[1]
Postgraduates2,989 (2014)[1]
Location
Seongbuk-gu
,
Seoul
,
South Korea South Korea
CampusUrban
MascotTwo Dragons
Websiteenglish.kookmin.ac.kr (English)
www.kookmin.ac.kr (Korean)

Kookmin University (Korean: 국민대학교, IPA:[ˈkʊkminˈtæhɑːkkjo]; Hanja: 國民大學校) is a private research university established in 1946 in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It has historic significance, as it was founded during by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and is the first private university founded after the liberation of the Republic of Korea from Japan.

Prominent Korean independence activists Kim Gu, Jo So-ang and Shin Ik-hui are strongly associated with the university.[citation needed]

In 1959, the SsangYong Group acquired the university. It has around 22,000 students and 350 administrative staff are working at the university's 800 faculties. Since its establishment in 1946, approximately 60,000 students have graduated.[when?][citation needed]

The KMU consists of 14 undergraduate colleges, several postgraduate schools, and 10 professional-technical schools. The university provides degree programs, scholarships, and conferences. The international rank and reputation has been improving.[2][3]

History

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Kookmin University was established by the Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Shin Ik-hui became the first president of the university. He went on to serve the country as the first House Speaker of the National Assembly.[4]

In 1959, Sunggon "Sungkok" Kim, the founder of the SsangYong Group, took over the university and now produces research.[5]

Academics

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University rankings
JoongAng National[6] Domestic =16
QS National[7] General 32–37
THE National[8] General 39
USNWR National[9] General 17
QS Asia
(Asia version)[10]		 General 351–400
THE Asia
(Asia version)[11]		 General 501–600
USNWR Asia[12] General =716
QS World[13] General 1001–1200
THE World[14] General 1501+
USNWR World[15] General =1835
The emblem of Kookmin University
Campus Hill and Bugak Hall

Kookmin University's academic programs are organized into undergraduate colleges, graduate schools, professional, and special schools. It is the first school that created the Department of Automotive Engineering among four-year universities in Korea.

Undergraduate Colleges

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International Buildings
College of Economics and Business
Art Center

Graduate school

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The Kookmin University Graduate School consists of departments within five main areas of study: Humanities & Social Studies, Natural Science, Engineering, Arts & Physical Education and Interdisciplinary Programs.[19]

Campus

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Myungwon Folk House
Student Center

Academic & Administrative Buildings

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Sungkok library was founded at the opening of Kookmin University in December 1946. It moved to its current location in the Jeongneung-dong building in 1971. A new space was built with the support of the SsangYong Group, and was named after its founder Kim Sunggon, also known as Sungkok. The library has a database and 7 million books, multimedia data, 2000 kinds of internal and external scholarly journals, 50000 kinds of foreign journals (21 DBs), 1300 online journals, 52000 e-Books, and 2700 seats in cubicles.

Myungwon house is affiliated with Kookmin University and has been designated as Seoul National Treasure No.7. The house was the residence of Han Kyu-seol, who was the Mayor of Seoul and the Minister of Political Affairs during the late Joseon dynasty. In 1980, on the verge of demolition due to the urban redevelopment of central Seoul, it was donated by the family of the former owner, the late Joon Hyuk Park and his eldest son Hyo Jong Henry Park to the late Kim Myoungwon, Mee Hee, and then reconstructed at the present site adjacent to Kookmin University.

Affiliated Research institutes

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Humanities and Social Science

Business

Engineering & Science

Arts and Design

Notable people

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Alumni

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Korean Language Center

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Korean Language Education Center was founded to help foreign students learn Korean Language and culture. About 1,800 students from more than 15 countries are currently studying at the Korean Language Center.

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Facts & Figures". kookmin.ac.kr. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  2. ^ "Korean Universities Move Up in Asian Rankings". The Chosun Ilbo. May 24, 2011.
  3. ^ "Kookmin University, ranked no. 42 in the THE Asia University Rankings 2014". kookmin.ac.kr. August 6, 2014.
  4. ^ "History & Major Accomplishments". kookmin.ac.kr. Archived from the original on 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  5. ^ "[화제人] 政·財·언론·교육계 넘나든 '소탈한' 한국 현대사 巨木". The Chosun Ilbo. July 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "2023 JoongAng Ilbo University Rankings". JoongAng Ilbo. 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "QS University Rankings 2025". Top Universities. 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  8. ^ "THE University Rankings 2024 - South Korea". Times Higher Education (THE). 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  9. ^ U.S.News & World Report (2024). "Best Global Universities in South Korea". Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "QS Asian University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Asia University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  12. ^ U.S.News & World Report (2024). "2024-2025 Best Global Universities in Asia". Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "QS World University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "THE World University Rankings". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  15. ^ U.S.News & World Report (2024). "2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings". Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  16. ^ World University Rankings - 2023 (2024). "South Korea Universities in Top 500 universities". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved August 15, 2024.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  18. ^ "Young University Rankings 2024: South Korea". Times Higher Education (THE). 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  19. ^ "Graduate School of Kookmin University". kookmin.ac.kr.
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