Yonsei University

Yonsei Univeristy
Korean Name
Revised Romanization	Yeonse Daehakgyo
McCune-Reischauer	Yŏnse Taehakkyo
Hangul	연세 대학교
Hanja	延世大學校

Yonsei University is the oldest western-style university in South Korea. Among Koreans, the school is generally regarded as "second best" after Seoul National University, both universities typically recruiting the highest-scoring high school students in the annual national university entrance examinations.

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History

The university's medical school dates to 1885, the first western-style hospital in Korea, the Gwanghyewon, was opened by the American missionary Dr. H. N. Allen. The hospital took its first class of 16 medical students the following year. The hospital was later renamed as "Jejungwon," then became known as the Severance Medical College and Hospital.

Other components of the school date back to 1915, when another American missionary, H. G. Underwood, founded the Chosun Christian College, which was renamed in 1917 as "Yonhi College." In 1946, Yonhi College became Yonhi University.

In 1957, Severance Medical College and Hospital and Yonhi University merged to form Yonsei University. Today, Yonsei operates its main campus in Seoul and a campus in Wonju, Gangwon Province.

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University shield

The "ㅇ" and "ㅅ" in the University shield are derived from the first letters of "연세"(Yonsei). The circle "ㅇ" represents the ideal of a complete and well-rounded person, while the "ㅅ" symbolizes the upward-looking strife for scholarly excellence. In addition, the "ㅇ" stands for Heaven, the "-" represents the horizon of the Earth, and "ㅅ" signifies "Man" as expressed in the Chinese character (人). The open book stands for Truth, the torchlight signifies Freedom, and the shield protects these two core principles of the University

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