Despite all difficulties, we took a new step as Kangnam Social Welfare School in 1976 and moved our campus to Yongin in 1980 and we have continued to develop ever since. In 1989 we were converted into Kangnam College and in 1992 upgraded to a 4-year university, which is a significant achievement of our goal of laying the foundation of learning for the less fortunate. In the 1990s and 2000s we have grown both quantitatively and qualitatively. Starting with Graduate School of Theology, we established Graduate School and Graduate School of Social Welfare and were selected as Leading University for Educational Reform and Leading University for Academic Reform and Leading University for Comprehensive University Evaluation. From 2004 to 2006 we were selected as Leading University in Metropolitan-area University Specialization Support Project for three years in a row and from 2009 to 2012 as Support University for Development Project of University Education Competency and from 2010 to 2013 Support University for Admission Officer System Support Project, which is recognition of our place in the nation.

Now we consist of about 7,000 students and 300 faculty members and 100 staff, a medium-sized university in the capital area. Since the 1990s when globalization became the future direction of Korea’s secondary education, we have signed exchange agreements with 144 educational institutes of 37 countries and our students have continued a journey of challenge across the world for a brighter future. Under the founding spirit of gyeongcheonaein (to worship the heavens and cherish humankind) many foreign national students are invited to study at KNU every year. Depending on an era in which we were, challenge we had to tackle was all different and we are still facing brand-new challenge ahead. We have put our utmost efforts to overcome the current crisis by reforming academic and administrative system and improving human resources network since university evaluation in 2015.

Dear KNU members!

We started this academic institute 70 years ago as a small seminary even without a proper building. And now we have achieved magnificent growth for the last 30 years and are moving forward to the 100th anniversary. Our future relies on fostering true KNU talents who are creative, innovative and dedicated to the development of society. To this end, the vision we would like to suggest is a welfare, preaching, ICT convergence university, which is the product of our efforts of incorporating traditions (such as establishment of Social Business Department for the first time in Korea in 1953) and future-oriented technological innovation. To realize this vision, there are a number of challenges ahead for our members to tackle but its core lies in the success of our students. It is our sacred pledge on our 70th anniversary that we will establish an optimal environment in which anyone admitted to Kangnam University will graduate as a true talent committed to the development of our society.

Thank you.

April 19, 2016 President of Kangnam University