The Ministry of Education said on the 28th that it has approved the merger of Wonkwang University and Wonkwang Health Science University, which was applied for by the school corporation Wonkwang Academy.
Accordingly, Wonkwang University and Wonkwang Health Science University will be integrated and launched as Wonkwang University starting from March next year.
This merger is the first case of integration between a general university (Wonkwang University) and a specialized university (Wonkwang Health Science University). Until now, when a four-year general university and a specialized university merged to transition into a general university, they were not allowed to operate associate degree programs.
In response, the government has newly designated the regions of Jeonbuk, Busan, and Daegu/Gyeongbuk, where these universities are located, as regions specialized in higher education innovation. This will allow general universities and specialized universities in the respective regions to merge and also operate associate degree programs.
The enrollment limit of the integrated Wonkwang University is 3,950 students. This is a reduction of 408 students compared to the enrollment limits of Wonkwang University (3,047) and Wonkwang Health Science University (1,311) prior to the merger.
The Ministry of Education plans to inspect and manage the status of securing teachers, faculty, and revenue-generating basic assets annually until 2029 following the merger of Wonkwang University.