Korea University Department of Korean History

The Foundation of the Nation’s History – the Department of History

The Department of History was established as Bosung College, which was founded during the Colonial Period, and was incorporated into Korea University on August 15, 1946. Since then, it has produced a great number of graduates and has distinguished itself as one of the leaders of the society until the reformation of the department in 1989.

The faculty members at the Department of History consisted of professors specializing in Korean, Eastern, and Western history including the late Seong-Shik Kim (Western Modern History), the late Seok-ho Shin (Joseon Dynasty), the late Jae-gak Jung (Chinese History and former President of Dongguk University), the late Jung-hak Kim (Ancient Korean History), the late Hak-yeop Kim (Western Contemporary History), the late Jun-yeop Kim (Chinese Modern History and former President of Korea University) the late Hong-jik Lee (Ancient Korean History), and the late Jin-chul Kang (Koryo Dynasty)— all of whom provided the students with comprehensive knowledge in history and society.

The Cradle of People’s Education: From the Department of History to the Department of Korean History

The Department of Korean History came to be as the Department of History (which had had 90 students) divided into three separate departments in March 1989 for specialized studies for Korean, Eastern, and Western history.

The new Department of Korean History adopted a curriculum that covered all major periods of Korean history with the following faculty members: Prof. Man- Gil Kang (Modern and Contemporary Korean History), Prof. Jeong-Bae Kim (Ancient History), Prof. Hyon-Ku Min (Early Joseon Period), Prof. Yong Woon Park (Koryo Period) and Prof. Kwang, Cho (Late Joseon Period). Its creation marked the formation of the identity of Korean history as a discipline in the nation.

The Heart of Korean History, Eyes on the World: The Department of Korean History

The curriculum of the Department of Korean History has been even more structured and strengthened since the mid-1990’s as the following professors, who specialize in their own fields, joined the faculty: Prof. Deok-Soo Choi (History of Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries) in 1993, Prof. Kwang Shik Choi (Ancient Korean History) in 1995, Prof. Tae-Hern Jung (History of Japanese Colonial Period) in 1999, Prof. Jin-Han Lee (History of Koryo Period) in 2001, Prof. Daejae Park (Ancient Korean History) in 2007, Prof. Jae Hoon Kang (History of Early Joseon Period) and Prof. Eun Heo (Contemporary History) in 2008, Prof. Leighanne Kimberly Yuh (English-mediated Korean History) in 2013, and Prof. Yang-seop Song (History of Late Joseon Period) in 2014. The systematic programs that the department offers are unmatched in the world—suggesting that the Department of Korean History is the heart of the global academia for Korean history. It has also played a central role in leading the national research project Brain Korea 21 since 1999.