KU to build infrastructure to provide systemic Korean education contributing to Korea’s national competitiveness
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Korean language education building takes place.

▲ From the left: Hyunggi Kim, Education Chief of the Korean Language Center, Institute of Foreign Language Studies, Korea University; Hyangkeun Song, Chairman of the Board, King Sejong Institute Foundation; Jeong Gyu Sun, Executive Vice President of the Sejong Campus, Korea University; Hikyoung Lee, Director of the Institute of Foreign Language Studies, Korea University; Jaeho Yeom, President of Korea University; Gil-Sung Park, Dean of the Korea University Graduate School; Gisun Na, CEO of Goduk Construction; Hyunho Han, CEO of GNI Architects & Engineers; and Jinsoo Joo, Vice President of Campus Planning, Korea University.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the KU Korean Language Education Building took place on site across the CJ Law Hall on February 15, 2017 at 3pm.

The building will be three stories high with an underground floor and a total floor size of 5,244.23㎡ (1,586.38 pyeong). Once completed, the building will be an optimized facility providing an environment for group study and education, as well as places for discussion through sophisticated language education programs in its 45 lecture rooms. Spaces for student clubs and an auditorium will allow students to share and experience various language and culture, befitting its role as a specialized language building. 

There has been explosive growth in the number of students seeking Korean language education in recent years. The new center was established in order to develop a systemic infrastructure for Korean language education in order to strengthen not only KU’s competitiveness, but also Korea’s competitiveness as a nation. This building reflects an environment-friendly and energy efficient design that maximizes natural light and ventilation and employs a solar energy generation system. The building has received green building and building energy efficiency accreditations.

The Korean Language Center, dedicated to the development of Korean language education focusing on discovering efficient education methods and study materials based on the various needs of the learners, marked its 30th foundation anniversary in 2016. Over 13,000 students have studied in the program. The KU Korean Language Center will continue to grow as an education institution promoting Korean language and culture as Korea’s recognition around the world increases.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, President Yeom said, “The Korean Language Center started with only 139 students 30 years ago, but now, it is one of the world’s biggest Korean education institutions. I’ve made a commitment to develop this center into a place for global communication and exchange centering on Korean language and KU culture by implementing the best infrastructure and offering the best education at last year’s 30th foundation anniversary celebration. The center, which is breaking ground today, is the centerpiece of that commitment, and I hope to see many more international students, who will grow into global leaders, learning Korean and the KU culture.”

He further added, “We are writing a new history of civilization in the 21st century, where time and space expands infinitely. The expanding concept of space changed the confinements of educating within Korea to educating the world. Korea University aspires to develop global talents from all over the world into intellectuals who will charter the future of humanity. The new center is not only a quantitative expansion, but it shall serve as a critical opportunity for qualitative advancement that contributes to the virtuous cycle of KU’s global recognition by designing the future of Korean education and continuous growth of the center.”