Sahmyook University
Encyclopedia
Sahmyook University is a private
, Christian
, coeducational university located in Metropolitan Seoul
, South Korea
. Sahmyook University is part of a worldwide network of Seventh-day Adventist institutions of higher education
providing an environment for learning that emphasises individual commitment to Christ
, personal integrity, intellectual development, and community service.
The school was founded in 1906 as Euimyung College in Sunahn, Pyungan-namdo, North Korea
. It was the first higher education facility started in Korea, and is today the largest university owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
.
In 2009, the university had 6 colleges, including the College of Theology, Humanities & Social Science and Health Science & Social Welfare in addition to 4 graduate schools. There are 216 full-time faculty teaching 5,566 undergraduate students and 189 graduate students.
However, while under the rule of Japanese imperialism, the missionaries stopped managing the whole school system due to Shinto
worship
being enforced by the Japan
ese rulers. Thus, the school remained closed by the end of the Second World War. After Korea
gained its independence from Japan
in 1945, the school moved from Suahn Pyungan-namdo and joined with the church headquarters in Hoegi, Seoul
; The move was completed in 1949.
On the 25th June, 1950, the Korean War
forced the school to close again. After Seoul was won back in November 1951, the school was relocated to its current location in, Gongdeok, Yangjoo, Gyeonggi (later renamed Seoul
) and reopened. The school was also renamed Sahmyook College, and the minister James Lee was inaugurated as the first president.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, coeducational university located in Metropolitan Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Sahmyook University is part of a worldwide network of Seventh-day Adventist institutions of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
providing an environment for learning that emphasises individual commitment to Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, personal integrity, intellectual development, and community service.
The school was founded in 1906 as Euimyung College in Sunahn, Pyungan-namdo, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It was the first higher education facility started in Korea, and is today the largest university owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
.
In 2009, the university had 6 colleges, including the College of Theology, Humanities & Social Science and Health Science & Social Welfare in addition to 4 graduate schools. There are 216 full-time faculty teaching 5,566 undergraduate students and 189 graduate students.
Establishment of a mission college
Sahmyook University was founded in 1906 as a small, Seventh-day Adventist school called "Euimyung College" by American Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, with the objective to improve the education of church workers in Korea.However, while under the rule of Japanese imperialism, the missionaries stopped managing the whole school system due to Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
being enforced by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rulers. Thus, the school remained closed by the end of the Second World War. After Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
gained its independence from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1945, the school moved from Suahn Pyungan-namdo and joined with the church headquarters in Hoegi, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
; The move was completed in 1949.
On the 25th June, 1950, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
forced the school to close again. After Seoul was won back in November 1951, the school was relocated to its current location in, Gongdeok, Yangjoo, Gyeonggi (later renamed Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
) and reopened. The school was also renamed Sahmyook College, and the minister James Lee was inaugurated as the first president.
The university today
Each January over 10,000 students apply at Sahmyook University. Only about 10 percent, or 1,242, of them (mostly non-Adventists) are accepted as new students. Non-Adventists have a higher ratio of successful applications compared with Adventist students. The actual number of Adventist students annually accepted is around 200, or about 1 in 6.Book publishing
Sahmyook University Press, which was founded in 1972, deals with theology, social studies, and science textbooks.Institutes and Research Centres
The university has the following research institutes:- Geoscience Research InstituteGeoscience Research InstituteThe Geoscience Research Institute , located on the campus of Loma Linda University in California, is an official institute of the Seventh-day Adventist Church which engages in creation science, and serves the church in the areas of research and communication...
- Korean Institute for HIV/AIDS Prevention
- Life Science Research Institute
- Mission and Society Research Institute
- The Korean Institute of Alcohol Problems
- Theological Research Institute
- Uimyung Research Institute for Neuroscience
Study abroad opportunities
Sahmyook University co-sponsors Adventist Colleges Abroad, a program in which qualified students study overseas while completing requirements for graduation at Sahmyook University. Undergraduate students may also study abroad. Affiliation and Extension Programs are offered in Puerto Rico, South Africa, Mexico, England, Jamaica, Canada, Romania, India, Russia, Thailand, Italy, Ukraine, Bolivia and the United States. (For the full list of sister universities, go to ▶http://www.syu.ac.kr/04_life/sab_gco.asp)Notable Alumni
- Lee, Han : Tenor, Professor at Sangji UniversitySangji UniversitySangji University is a private university located in Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea. Established in 1955, it has seven colleges and six graduate schools. Its top areas of study are Oriental Medicine and Tourism...
- Ko, Wonbae : Current Professor at Chemistry at Sahmyook University
- Choi, Joonhwan : Vice President of Sahmook University
- Yim, Dongsul : Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
- Kim, Kyungje: Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
- Cheong, Jayhoon : Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
- Lee, Dong-Hoon : Korea Men's Figure skater
- BoABoABoa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
: World Star, SM EntertainmentSM EntertainmentS.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea... - Lee, Eunwoo : Movie Actor (Noa Entertainment), Latest Movie - "귀신이야기(2009)", "육혈포강도단(2010)", "Romantic Heaven (2011)"
- Jin, Ku : Movie Actor, Latest Movie - "마더(2009)", "식객:김치전쟁(2010)", "혈투(2010)", "모비딕 (2011)"
- Nam, Hyejung: OBS Weather forecaster
- Lee, Seung-ryul: Soccer player of Korea Republic national football teamKorea Republic national football teamThe Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
, (2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
) - Nara : Singer, Color of Trot (2009), Orange Company
- Myeongje: Singer, Boy’s Universe (2009), 안녕바다,플럭서스
- Lim, Taejong : the president of Hansung Accounting Academy
Notable faculty members
- Kim, Kikon : Current President of Sahmyook University
- Ko, Wonbae : Current Professor at Chemistry at Sahmyook University
- Seo, Kwangsoo : Former President of Sahmyook University
- Han, Sangkyung : The manager of "The Garden of Morning Calm"(아침고요수목원); Current professor of Holticulture.
- Lee, Gangseong : The secretary of the president, the Division of Employment-Industrial Relations at the Blue House
- Yim, Dongsul : Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
- Kim, Kyungje: Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
- Cheong, Jayhoon : Current Professor at Pharmacy at Sahmyook University
See also
- Sahmyook FoodsSahmyook FoodsThe Sahmyook Foods is a food company in South Korea that produces a large range of soy milks as well as a range of vegetarian products. Founded in 1978, it holds more than a quarter of the market share in health foods. Sahmyook Foods is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.- Soy...
- Sahmyook Language SchoolSahmyook Language SchoolThe Sahmyook Language School is an English language school with 41 branches across South Korea. There is also a branch in Mongolia. Over 50,000 students enroll each term and about 260 native English speakers are employed by the school...
- Sahmyook Medical CenterSahmyook Medical CenterSahmyook Medical Center or Seoul Adventist Hospital is a large private hospital in Seoul, South Korea. It admits more than 30,000 patients per year. Sahmyook Medical Center also houses the Sahmyook Children's Hospital, Proton Treatment Center, Transplantation Institute & Liver Center...
- List of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities
- List of universities in Seoul
- List of colleges and universities in South Korea
- Education in South KoreaEducation in South KoreaEducation in South Korea is viewed as being crucial for success and competition is consequently very heated and fierce. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. Mathematics, science, Korean, social...
- Index of Korea-related articles