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Wonkwang universities receive final approval for merger

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 14:26 Updated: 29 Apr. 2025, 14:27

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

A view of the Wonkwang University campus in Iksan, North Jeolla [WONKWANG UNIVERSITY]

Wonkwang University and Wonkwang Health Science University received final approval from the Ministry of Education to merge and will open as a merged institution starting from the 2026 academic year.

The Education Ministry approved the merger and gave a green light to the universities to enroll freshmen as a merged institution starting from the spring 2026 semester, according to the two universities on Tuesday.

Wonkwang University is a four-year university offering bachelor's degree programs and Wonkwang Health Science University is a junior college offering associate degrees. The merged institution will be able to offer both bachelor's and associate degree programs.

Although the Higher Education Act states that four-year comprehensive universities can grant bachelor's degrees and that junior colleges can only grant associate degrees, the Education Ministry gave a special exemption to allow the merged institution to offer a mix of programs.

"Based on the current Higher Education Act, comprehensive universities couldn't operate associate degree programs," said Park Sung-tae, president of Wonkwang University. "But the special exemption has laid the basis for us to create educational programs fit to our region, while going beyond systematic obstacles."

"The merged Wonkwang University, which formally opens next year, will focus on helping the local community develop through partnerships with local governments and enhancing the university's brand value."

Following the merger, students enrolled in Wonkwang Health Science University's two-year associate degree programs will be given the opportunity to transfer to a four-year program that was offered at Wonkwang University to later graduate with a bachelor's.

The merged institution will have an admissions quota of 3,950 for the 2026 academic year. The figure is down 9.4 percent from the two university's combined admissions quota for 2025. International students are accepted beyond the admissions quota.

One of the goals of the merged institution is to specialize in bio and health education, and 60 percent of its admissions quota will be allocated to programs in such fields.

The universities say the merger will create various programs for students that wish to study in bio and medical fields, with Wonkwang University theory and research-based education in medicine, dentistry and oriental medicine, while the health science university focuses on practical theories in physical therapy, radiology and dental hygienics.

The merger follows the two universities getting selected for the Glocal University 30 project as a coalition in 2024, on the condition they merge. The project offers funding of up to 100 billion won ($69.5 million) during a five-year period, which universities can use to enhance their competitiveness.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]