Seoul National University

South Korea’s leading university is a city within a city, with students living, exercising, learning and socializing on site at its main campus.

Seoul National University is a fixed feature of the South Korean capital and a city in itself. Take a campus tour or go on a self-guided walk to marvel at its many facilities, which range from the gastronomical and cultural to the athletic.

The university’s main campus is in Gwanak, in the southern part of Seoul, but there is also a medical campus in Daehangno and a remote one in the famous wintersports haven of Pyeongchang. Because the university is a merger of many South Korean education institutions, there are other research facilities too.

More than 28,000 students are currently enrolled and there are also hundreds of exchange students from all over the world attending classes, staying in the on-campus dormitories and making new friends in the uni’s social clubs.

Because only the best of the best get admitted to the Seoul National University, you would expect the atmosphere to be focused and serious. But something that immediately stands out when you browse the campus is that the vibe is relaxed.

The sports fields are also always busy and there is also a concert hall where K-pop and classical music concerts entertain the masses. Don’t miss the university’s prestigious art museum.

Seoul National University has its roots in the Imperial Universities founded by the Japanese Empire, the Keijo Imperial University, but has gone its own way since the end of World War II and the independence of Korea. During the Korean War of the 1950s, it was temporarily taken over by North Korea.

To learn more of its history and modern-day programs, you can take an official campus tour if you apply beforehand and arrive right on time.

To reach the university, take metro line 2 southbound and disembark at the Seoul National University station. Note that parking spaces are limited and that parking fees apply.