Korea National Open University

Korea National Open University

Type	National (Public)
Established	1972 (1972)
President	Song-hwan Ko, Ph.D.
Academic staff	150 (2011)
Students	94,656 (2023)
Undergraduates	92,079 (2023)
Postgraduates	2,577 (2023)
Location	Seoul (Main Campus), Regional centers nationwide , South Korea
Campus	86 Daehak-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Korea
Colors	Blue
Website	www.knou.ac.kr

Korea National Open University
Hangul	한국방송통신대학교
Hanja	韓國放送通信大學校
Revised Romanization	Hanguk Bangsong Tongsin Daehakgyo
McCune–Reischauer	Han'guk Pangsong T'ongsin Taehakkyo

Korea National Open University (KNOU, Korean: 한국방송통신대학교) is a national university of South Korea. The school provides higher education including undergraduate, graduate and non-degree programs as well as distance-learning courses in Korean for more than 180,000 students. It was established in 1972 as a branch faculty of Seoul National University, with 2-year junior college courses. In 1982, KNOU was separated from SNU and established as a national university, launching programs for 4-year undergraduate degrees. As of 2009, the university has 46 offices and regional learning centres nationwide, and domestic cable television channel (OUN) for broadcasting lectures. It provides accredited bachelor's and master's degree for various fields, as well as non-degree qualifications such as diplomas and certificates, or life-long learning units. The school's main campus is located in Daehak-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul.

With more than 180,000 students enrolled, including 700 postgraduate students, KNOU is the first Open university, distance and lifelong educational institution of South Korea, and the largest educational institution in the country by enrollment. Since its foundation, more than 500,000 students have been enrolled, and 350,000 students graduated from the university. According to university data, the university graduation rate as of 2021 is 42%, which is an increase from the 30% graduation rate in 2011. Most undergraduate students must complete procedures such as a graduation thesis and official language test scores (e.g. TOEIC) to graduate from the department.

The graduation rate of Korea National Open University has increased over time. Before the widespread use of personal computers and smartphones, students participated in classes through radio or television, which made active learning and engagement difficult. However, as personal computers and smartphones became commonplace in South Korea, participation in learning became much more convenient. Additionally, the preference for remote classes has risen since COVID-19, leading to an increase in enrollment among younger populations in their 20s and 30s.

History

In 1972, Korea National Open University (KNOU) was established as an affiliated college of Seoul National University. It was the first open university in East Asia and South Korea and the second open university in the world, following The Open University in the United Kingdom. After the Korean War armistice in 1953, South Korea’s GDP was extremely low, and the number of people with higher education was minimal. In the 1970s, the higher education enrollment rate in South Korea was 25.7%, dropping to 17.7% in the late 1970s. Against this backdrop, KNOU was founded to make higher education more accessible. At the same time, high school education was not mandatory in 20th-century South Korea, and many people had not graduated from high school. To address this, the South Korean government also established the Korea National Open High School, applying a similar open education concept to secondary schooling.

In its early years, before KNOU expanded, professors at the main campus personally graded and annotated assignments submitted by students each semester. These were then sent back to students by mail. This meticulous feedback process was both a source of anxiety and a point of pride for students. Many saw receiving direct guidance from professors on their writing as a great honor, and satisfaction with the system was high. However, as enrollment grew, the workload for professors became overwhelming, leading to challenges in academic management. Consequently, the detailed feedback system was gradually reduced starting in 1986 and was fully discontinued by 1994.

In 1972, KNOU lectures were broadcast via radio through KBS and MBC channels. By 1985, television and the internet were introduced as additional mediums for delivering lectures. As radio usage declined and television and internet access expanded, radio broadcasts for lectures were discontinued in 2008.

However, the concept of an “open university” faced significant challenges during KNOU’s early days in South Korea. There was ongoing societal debate about whether the open-admission KNOU should be recognized as a formal university. Additionally, the legal classification of KNOU was ambiguous: should it be considered a standard four-year university, a cyber university, or a lifelong learning institution? Eventually, laws were enacted to clarify its legal status. Under South Korea’s Higher Education Act, KNOU is now officially recognized as a standard four-year university.

Open university in modern Korean society

In South Korea, Korea National Open University (KNOU) is recognized as a representative open university and a prestigious institution. However, with the expansion of higher education in modern times, the demand for open universities, which previously addressed challenges related to population decline and income inequality, has somewhat diminished. The hierarchical nature of higher education in Korea and the elitist culture surrounding universities, particularly the so-called “SKY universities” (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University), have also contributed to critical perceptions of open universities, which offer more accessible admission policies.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable increase in remote learning and a shift toward practical education in South Korea, leading to renewed interest in open universities. Today, open universities are particularly popular among foreigners, socially isolated individuals (an issue of growing concern in Korean society), people without disabilities, the elderly, office workers, and some young adults. Although the overall need for open universities may have declined in recent years, their mission to provide universal access to higher education remains essential.

Education

Korea National Open University (KNOU) operates on a credit-based system rather than a year-based system. This means students cannot advance to the next academic level unless they meet the credit requirements designated for each level, regardless of how long they have been enrolled. To graduate from KNOU, students must complete at least 130 credits, satisfy the graduation requirements set by their department—such as submitting certified foreign language test scores, a graduation thesis, or acquiring relevant certifications—and pass the graduation evaluation.

An early graduation system is also available. Students with an overall GPA of 4.0 or higher who have completed six or seven semesters and met all graduation requirements may be eligible to receive a bachelor’s degree.

Students who meet certain qualifications may pursue a double major. However, if they fail to complete the graduation requirements set by the department, such as a graduation thesis, they will not be able to graduate even if their first major meets the graduation requirements.

The university includes four colleges:

• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Social Science
• College of Natural Science
• College of Education

It also includes seventeen graduate schools:

• Department of Practical English
• Department of Practical Chinese
• Department of Japanese Language & Culture
• Department of French Language & Culture
• Department of Law
• Department of Public Administration
• Department of Management
• Department of Media Arts & Science
• Department of Agriculture and Life Science
• Department of Economics
• Department of Computer Science
• Department of e-Learning
• Department of Bioinformatics
• Department of Envitonmental Health Systems
• Department of Nursing
• Department of Lifelong Education
• Department of Youth Education
• Department of Early Childhood Education

Admission acceptance rate

The admission acceptance rate at Korea National Open University (KNOU) is approximately 99%. The number of students admitted varies by department, and in most cases, the number of admitted students is significantly higher than that of traditional universities. However, in certain departments, the number of applicants occasionally exceeds the available slots, which prevents the university from achieving a 100% acceptance rate.

Campus

The university has campuses in every major city of South Korea. Cities which have KNOU campuses include: Seoul, Daejeon-Chungnam, Busan, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Incheon, Gwangju-Jeonnam, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Chungbuk, Gyeongnam, Ulsan, Jeju. In recent years, as the number of students studying abroad has grown, KNOU has adapted to allow students to continue their studies while living overseas.

Tuition fee

The tuition fee is generally around $250 per semester. However, students who qualify for scholarships—such as young adults, senior citizens, naturalized foreigners in South Korea, or recipients of basic living subsidies—can reduce the total cost per semester to as little as $30, significantly lowering the financial burden or, in some cases, waiving the fee entirely. These low tuition fees are due to the university’s status as a national and open institution, as well as its large student body of approximately 100,000 registrants annually.

Notable alumni

• Kim Yeon-koung, Volleyball player
• Kim Kwang-kyu, actor

See also

• List of national universities in South Korea
• List of universities and colleges in South Korea
• Education in Korea
• Open university

External links

• Official school website