Hanma Academy Foundation Appoints Current President Park Jaegyu as 12th President of Gyeongnam University

Overcoming University Crisis and Genuine Student Success

Leading Educational Innovation and Establishing a Foundation for Talent Development

Park Jae-gyu, the current president (former Minister of Unification), has been appointed as the 12th president of Gyeongnam National University.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] Park Jae-gyu, the current president (former Minister of Unification), has been appointed as the 12th president of Gyeongnam National University.

The Hanma Academy Foundation held a board meeting on the 29th and appointed Park Jae-gyu, the current president, as the 12th president of Gyeongnam National University.

A representative of Hanma Academy Foundation stated, “Currently, regional universities are facing various crises such as a decline in the school-age population and concentration in metropolitan universities. To wisely overcome these challenges and lead true student success and educational innovation in a rapidly changing era, Park Jae-gyu, who has led diversification in regional education with a broad domestic and international human network and strong leadership, and has laid the foundation for nurturing future talents demanded by the times and society, is the right person.” The entire board agreed with this view.

During his tenure as a professor and president at Gyeongnam National University, President Park has consistently provided clear vision and goals to university members with creative wisdom and leadership whenever the university faced crises.

As a result, the university was selected as a ‘General Financial Support University’ in the Ministry of Education’s ‘2021 3rd Cycle University Basic Competency Diagnosis Evaluation,’ and was chosen for many national projects and financial support programs such as the Ministry of Education’s ‘3rd Phase Leading University for Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Development Project (LINC3.0),’ the Ministry of Unification’s ‘2022 Regional Unification Education Center Project,’ the Ministry of Education’s ‘Local Government-University Cooperation-Based Regional Innovation Project,’ and the ‘Future Automotive Technology Convergence Innovative Talent Development Project’ led by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, thereby enhancing its status as the region’s top prestigious private university.

President Park has devoted himself to research and education for peaceful unification while serving as a professor at Gyeongnam National University, director of the Far East Issues Research Institute established in 1972 at Gyeongnam National University, president of Gyeongnam National University, president of the Korean Council for University Presidents, chairman of the Yoon Isang Peace Foundation, president of the University of North Korean Studies, and chairman of the Northeast Asia University Presidents Association.

His representative works include ‘North Korean Diplomacy,’ ‘North Korea’s New Diplomacy and Survival Strategy,’ ‘North Korea’s Dilemma and Future,’ ‘A New Story of Unification,’ and ‘One Mind, The Path to Peaceful Unification,’ among many others.

Notably, during his tenure as the 26th Minister of Unification and standing member of the NSC in 2000, he served as the chairman of the South-North Summit Promotion Committee, successfully leading the inter-Korean summit and the June 15 Joint Declaration, leaving a great achievement by laying the foundation for an era of reconciliation and cooperation between South and North Korea.

He also served as the chief South Korean representative in the 1st to 4th inter-Korean ministerial talks, establishing principles and standards for dialogue between the South and North Korean authorities, significantly contributing to the advancement of inter-Korean relations.

Even after retiring from public office, he has actively participated as a presidential advisory unification counselor, member of the Presidential Social Integration Committee, and advisory member of the Unification Preparation Committee, leading social integration efforts for peace, unification, and national consensus on the Korean Peninsula as a senior figure in our society.

In recognition of these efforts, he was awarded the Order of Service Merit, Cheongjo, by the Korean government, the F.D.U. Global Understanding Award in the United States, the 1st Korean Peninsula Peace Award, and the Special Jury Award for Conflict Prevention from the Chirac Foundation in France. He has also received honorary doctorates from F.D.U. in the United States, Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, Kanagawa University in Japan, Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, and Soka University in Japan.

The new president’s term will be four years, from February 8, 2023, to February 7, 2027.