Soongsil University in Dongjak-gu, Seoul

July 22, 2024 303 Views

Seoul is home to many university. campuses. In the southwestern part of the city, in Dongjak-gu, you will find “Soongsil University.” This is a four-year private comprehensive university and a Christian mission school.

Founded in the 1890s as the first university in Korea, it voluntarily closed its doors in Pyongyang in 1938 to resist the Japanese government’s forced Shinto worship. It was reestablished in Seoul in 1954. Its predecessor, Pyeongyang Soongsil School, makes it the seventh oldest higher education institution in Korea, following Sungkyunkwan University, Catholic University of Korea, Yonsei University, Paichai University, Ewha Womans University, and Methodist Theological University.

“The First University in Korea to Establish an Electronic Computing Department”

Soongsil University is known for being the first university in Korea to establish an Electronic Computing Department. It also stands out in the fields of unification education and IT, being the first to establish a graduate school for small and medium-sized enterprises, the first to establish an IT college, the first to offer a mandatory liberal arts unification course for freshmen, and the first to run a big data expert training program for undergraduates.

“Easily Accessible by Subway”

Soongsil University is considered one of the most accessible universities by subway. Unlike stations like Seoul National University Station, where the university name is part of the station name but the campus is far away, Soongsil University Station is right in front of the university’s main gate. This makes it one of the few cases where the station name accurately reflects its proximity to the campus entrance.

“Exploring Soongsil University Campus”

I had to visit the area near Soongsil University for work. After finishing my tasks, it was lunchtime, and I thought the university cafeteria would be convenient for a solo meal. So, I decided to eat there and take a look around the campus.
Entering through the main gate, I slowly walked up the hill toward the Student Union Building.

“Student Union Building Cafeteria”

I found the student cafeteria in the Student Union Building. They offered both regular meals and snacks. Wanting a quick and simple meal, I headed to the snack corner and ordered an old-fashioned lunchbox. The price was reasonable, and the taste was decent.
In the snack corner, I noticed a machine for making instant ramen. Finding such a machine in a university cafeteria made me feel a bit sad. I had read articles about how the recent rapid inflation has affected students’ eating habits. It made me wonder if more students are opting for simpler meals due to financial constraints.

At globally renowned universities like Harvard, students are encouraged to take meal breaks to share ideas and gain inspiration. From my own experience, I believe this is important. However, it seems harder for universities to provide such opportunities nowadays, which is unfortunate.

With these thoughts, I quickly finished my meal and took a brief tour around the campus.

“Soongsil University in Dongjak-gu, Seoul”