This is a big school. 
Seoul National University is a big school. 

Seoul National University is a major school in Seoul, South Korea. 
The school has many parts. It has sixteen colleges. It also has many graduate schools. There are about 16,000 students in each group. This means the school is very large. 
Seoul National University is a famous public research school in Seoul, South Korea. 
The university has many different campuses in different places. The main campus is located in the Gwanak District. This campus is large and has its own subway station. There is also a campus in Daehangno. This area is north of the Han River. A third campus is located in Pyeongchang County. Some parts of the university used to be in Suwon. That agricultural campus moved to Gwanak in the year 2004. The school even has plans to grow much larger in the future.
The history of the school goes back a very long time. It started with schools made by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. He wanted to modernize his country through education. He started a law academy in 1895. He also helped start a teacher training school and a medical school. In 1899, a medical school was created to help people. This school later became the university's College of Medicine. These early schools are the roots of the modern university.
In 1946, the university was officially formed by merging ten different schools. These schools were located around the Seoul area. They included colleges for law, medicine, and even mining. The first president of the new university was Harry Bidwell Ansted. Later, the second president, Lee Choon-ho, took over in 1947. The school faced many hard times during the Korean War in 1950. During that time, the university had to move to Busan temporarily.
The university also protects important history and art. 
Seoul National University, often called SNU, is a major public research university in Seoul, South Korea. 
The university's academic reach is vast and highly organized. The sixteen colleges offer a total of 83 different undergraduate degree programs. These include the College of Humanities, the College of Social Sciences, and the College of Engineering. There are also specialized colleges like the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. For advanced students, the single graduate school provides 99 programs across five different fields of study. Additionally, twelve professional graduate schools exist to provide specialized training. This complex system allows students to study everything from fine arts to data science.
SNU's history is rooted in the efforts of the Joseon dynasty to modernize Korea. King Gojong initiated the creation of modern higher education institutions. In 1895, he issued a royal order to found a law academy. This academy produced 209 graduates, including the envoy Yi Tjoune. Other early institutions included Hanseong Sabeomhakgyo, a teacher training school, and Euihakkyo, a medical school. The medical school underwent many name changes over the years. It eventually became the SNU College of Medicine. In 1901, a nursing department was also established.
The modern university was officially founded on August 27, 1946. This happened through the merger of ten different higher education institutions in the Seoul area. These merged schools included colleges for law, education, industrial studies, and mining. Other merged institutions were the Suwon Agriculture College and the Gyeongseong Dentistry College. Harry Bidwell Ansted served as the university's first president. The school faced significant challenges during its early years. A protest movement against the U.S. military government led to the firing of 320 professors. More than 4,950 students also left the school during this time.
Conflict and relocation have also shaped the university's physical presence. During the Korean War in 1950, North Korean forces occupied the university. This period included the tragic Seoul National University Hospital massacre. Because of the war, the university temporarily moved to Busan. It merged with other South Korean universities during this difficult time. Later, the university moved its main campus to the Gwanak District in 1975. This move followed a request from President Park Chung Hee. The original main campus in the Jongno District is now known as the Yeongeon Campus.
The university manages several distinct campuses across South Korea. The Gwanak Campus serves as the main site and is located in southern Seoul. It is large enough to have its own subway station on Line 2. The Yeongeon Campus is located in northeast Seoul on Daehangno. This campus specifically houses the medical, dental, and nursing colleges. A third campus is located in Pyeongchang County within Gangwon Province. While the Suwon agricultural campus moved to Gwanak in 2004, some research facilities remain in Suwon. The university has even explored plans to establish a global campus in Siheung. This plan could increase the university's land size by 58 percent.
SNU is also a vital guardian of Korean history and culture. The Kyujanggak Archives, also called the Kyujanggak Royal Library, are located on campus. 
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