Korea University

Korea University (KU; 고려대학교) is a private research university based in Seoul, South Korea, with an additional campus in Sejong City. Founded in 1905 as Bosung College by Lee Yong-Ik, a high-ranking official of the Korean Empire, it ranks among the country’s oldest higher education institutions and holds the distinction of being South Korea’s first modern private university. Its name derives from Goguryeo, an ancient Korean kingdom. KU is one of the nation’s three most prestigious universities, collectively known as the SKY universities.

The student population includes more than 28,000 undergraduates and over 11,000 graduate students. The university offers programs across liberal arts, social sciences, business and economics, and engineering, with 81 departments spread across 19 colleges and divisions. It comprises 18 undergraduate schools and colleges, along with 22 graduate schools. Eleven auxiliary facilities support the campus, including libraries, a museum, and a press office. The faculty includes over 1,500 full-time members, more than 95% of whom hold a Ph.D. or equivalent qualification. KU has produced over 350,000 graduates, and its alumni association counts more than 280,000 members.

KU’s collegiate athletic teams, called the KU Tigers, compete in the U-League, South Korea’s collegiate athletic association, and have been among the most successful programs in college sports. The university runs multiple athletic clubs and fields teams in basketball, soccer, American football, ice hockey, baseball, and rugby, many of which trace their origins to the early 20th century. The Tigers have won numerous national championships across sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer.

**History**

**Bosung College**

Korea University began on May 5, 1905, as Bosung College, founded by Lee Yong-Ik, Treasurer of the Royal Household, under the motto “Education Saves the Country,” with a royal grant from Emperor Gojong. Though originally planned to have five departments, it opened with two two-year programs in Law and Plutology, led by its first president, Shin Hae-yeong, a former counselor at the Ministry of Finance. Classes took place in the former buildings of the National Russian Language School in Bak-dong, which served as its first campus. As a nationalistic institution, it became a symbol of pride during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945).