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Koryo Songgyungwan University with the Longest History in the World
2023.05.29.

Koryo Songgyungwan University was the highest educational institute which trained feudal government officials in the period of Kyoryo Dynasty.

Songgyungwan means an educational institute.

In 992 Koryo Feudal State established Kukjagam, the highest educational institute with the purpose to train government officials. Then, it was renamed as Songgyungam in 1298, and as Songgyungwan in 1308.

It was again renamed as Kukjagam in 1356, and as Songgyungwan in 1362.

Term of education differed from course to course, but generally it was 1~3 years.

Songgyungwan had scores of buildings and welfare facilities and taught different courses to the able literary men with rich knowledge.

Saying that Songgyungwan of Koryo Dynasty was the highest educational institute of Koryo Feudal State, President Kim Il Sung instructed to set up a university in Songgyungwan to show the entity of the university with its 1,000-year-long history which has inherited Songgyungwan, the highest educational institute established in the period of Koryo Dynasty.

Accordingly, in Juche 81(1992) Koryo Songgyungwan University of Light Industry was set up as the educational instate with the longest history in the world succeeding to Koryo Songgyungwan.

The university acknowledged to have the longest history in the world is Bolona University of Italy which was established around the 11th century. As Koryo Songgyungwan was set up in 992, it is 100 years older than the former.

It is a great pride of the Korean nation to have the university with the longest history in the world spanning over 1,000 years.