The race for the 29th president of Seoul National University has narrowed to three candidates: Professor Kang Jun-ho from the College of Education, Professor Choi Hae-cheon from the College of Engineering, and Professor Lee Jae-young from the College of Humanities.
According to the university on October 8, the Presidential Recommendation Committee announced the results of an internal policy evaluation conducted the previous day. Kang Jun-ho secured first place, followed by Choi Hae-cheon in second, and Lee Jae-young in third. Professor Kim Hyun-chul from the Graduate School of International Studies finished fourth and was eliminated from the race.
The evaluation involved 453 randomly selected faculty and staff, including full-time faculty, corporate employees, and teachers from affiliated schools, along with registered undergraduate and graduate student evaluators. The voting was conducted electronically, with criteria weighted as follows: vision and leadership (40%), feasibility of policies (40%), and international perspective (20%). Student votes were counted as 9.5% of the faculty evaluation total.
The three candidates advancing to the final round have prioritized 'financial expansion' and 'improving working conditions' to address the increasing faculty turnover and restore the university's competitiveness.
Professor Kang Jun-ho, who ranked first, proposed a '333 promise' that includes a salary of 300 million won for professors, an annual research fund of 30 million won, and a guarantee of three courses per year. He also aims to secure 2 trillion won in new funding and provide foundational AI education for undergraduates.
Professor Choi Hae-cheon, in second place, pledged to establish a partnership program with corporate CEOs called 'SNU Mega Frontier Partners' to generate 2 trillion won in new funds, triple the research funding for new faculty, implement AI literacy education for all students, and reform the presidential selection system.
Professor Lee Jae-young, who placed third, aims to increase the university's total assets from the current 6 trillion won to 10 trillion won through enhanced development and donations, along with the establishment of an AI knowledge network called 'SNU Omni-Agent.'
The Presidential Recommendation Committee plans to officially recommend the top three candidates to the board on October 14. The board will thoroughly review the candidates' qualifications and development plans, regardless of the evaluation rankings, and make a final selection by the end of the month. The chosen candidate will undergo a process of recommendation by the Minister of Education and appointment by the President, taking office in February for a four-year term.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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