[Interview] President Jeong Jaeyeon Dreams Beyond 'Integrated Kangwon National University' to Become a 'Defense Industry Venture Hub'

Inaugurated as President of Kangwon National University Last June
Aiming for "1 Trillion KRW in University Budget"
"Will Build a University Loved by the Local Community"

On the 21st, we visited Kangwon National University in Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province. Tower cranes could be seen across the spacious campus. The Campus Innovation Park, a symbol of industry-academia-research collaboration with a project budget of 50.4 billion KRW, had completed its foundation work, and new dormitory construction was underway. Several sites were also undergoing excavation and land development projects. There was a palpable sense of vitality.

Jae-Yeon Jeong, President of Kangwon National University, is explaining the university mascot before an interview with Asia Economy at the President's Office of Kangwon National University in Chuncheon. Photo by Jo Yong-Jun

It is not widely known that Kangwon National University (KNU) ranks among the top nationwide in faculty startups and startup sales. It was first place in 2023 and second last year. In 2022, AprilBio, a faculty startup company, was listed on KOSDAQ. These days, KNU dreams of becoming a ‘defense industry venture hub.’ It has attracted the ‘Defense Venture Center’ operated by the Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and two years ago, it established the Digital Military Department to cultivate ICT-based advanced defense technology specialists in data science, cybersecurity, and more. Combined with the university’s entrepreneurial DNA, there is no reason why a ‘Korea’s Palantir’ cannot emerge. Considering that the military population in Gangwon Province exceeds 140,000, one might even think it is late. We met with President Jeong Jae-young, who has been leading KNU for seven months, to hear about ‘KNU’s dream.’

- The phrase ‘defense industry venture hub’ catches the ear.

▲ The Defense Venture Center is only at our university north of Chungcheong Province. As you know, Gangwon’s industrial infrastructure is weak. However, KNU is building a golden tower as the number one university for faculty startups based on technology. To make the defense industry a new growth engine that differentiates Gangwon from other regions, not only I as the president of KNU but also the governor of Gangwon and local lawmakers are united and moving in one direction. The paradigm of the defense industry has already completely shifted to information technology. Many universities nationwide have military departments, but the Digital Military Department is a unique strength of KNU. Graduates can start businesses, work at defense-related research institutes, or aspire to become officers. For Gangwon, a border region adjacent to North Korea, this is a path toward two major goals: revitalizing the local economy and contributing to national security.

Jae-Yeon Jeong, President of Kangwon National University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in the President's Office at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon. Photo by Jo Yong-Jun

- The situation for regional national universities is difficult. Integration and restructuring are inevitable. At the same time, competitiveness must be strengthened. How is KNU proceeding?

▲ We aim to complete the ‘One Gangwon Province, One National University’ project, which unites national universities in the Gangwon region. This project is an innovative university integration model that addresses the era’s challenges of declining school-age population and regional extinction through a complex model of sharing, alliance, and integration, while strengthening differentiated competitiveness of each campus. To achieve integration with Gangneung-Wonju National University by March next year, the key is to create a harmonious operational model that considers the characteristics and roles of each campus. Integration with Chuncheon National University of Education must also be accomplished. There may be disagreements and challenges, but I believe that overcoming difficulties will build a stronger foundation of trust and cooperation. The integrated Kangwon National University will have four multi-campuses in Chuncheon, Samcheok, Gangneung, and Wonju. Each campus will be designed and reorganized to develop specialized competitiveness tailored to the regional industries and characteristics. This is a specialization strategy through selection and concentration. Chuncheon will focus on precision medicine and bio-health, Samcheok on liquefied hydrogen and disaster prevention, Gangneung on new materials and marine life, and Wonju on digital healthcare and e-mobility.

- Industry-academia cooperation is becoming increasingly important. Startups and employment are almost the basis for a university’s existence. What is KNU’s strategy?

▲ KNU is striving to establish a cooperative governance system of local government, industry, and academia that promotes mutual growth of the region and university through the ‘Regional Innovation-Centered University Support System (RISE).’ The core of RISE is to cultivate regionally tailored talent through close cooperation with the local community and create a virtuous ecosystem that develops local industries based on this. Our university is concretizing the RISE model based on ‘One Gangwon Province, One National University’ and discovering various regional innovation projects through cooperation with 18 local governments, innovation institutions, and universities within Gangwon Province. In this process, we operate customized education and research programs reflecting the characteristics and needs of local industries to simultaneously realize regional industrial development and talent cultivation.

- Attracting a semiconductor research institute must be welcome news for both the university and Gangwon Province.

▲ Last year, through the Semiconductor Specialized University Support Project and attracting the Gangwon Regional Semiconductor Joint Research Institute, we secured a total budget of 78 billion KRW, laying the foundation to build top-tier domestic research and development infrastructure. The Semiconductor Joint Research Institute is the only domestic research institute specialized in semiconductor design and testing, comprehensively performing education, research, and practical functions. In particular, by focusing on applied fields such as bio semiconductors and defense semiconductors, it is expected to greatly contribute to the development of Gangwon’s advanced industries. The Semiconductor Specialized University leads research and development (R&D) in next-generation semiconductor core fields, and our university faithfully fulfills its role as a hub university for semiconductor talent cultivation.

Jae-Yeon Jeong, President of Kangwon National University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in the President's Office at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon. Photo by Jo Yong-Jun

- You have achieved notable results such as selection for the ‘Glocal University 30 Project’ and an A grade in the National University Development Project evaluation.

▲ Thanks to the dedication of all members. Efforts such as restructuring the academic system and expanding multi-major operations led to the A grade. Since my inauguration seven months ago, I have focused on confirming the university’s potential and preparing for a new leap. Our status as a national flagship university is becoming more solid. Through the Campus Innovation Park and Small and Medium Research and Development Special Zone projects, we contribute to regional development. Student welfare and employment support are also important areas. We continue to expand dormitories and sports facilities.

- The outflow of local talent to the metropolitan area is said to be a major challenge for regional national universities.

▲ The issue of talent outflow is a challenge that universities and local communities must solve together. First, to expand admission opportunities for local talent, we have significantly increased the selection ratio of local talent along with increasing the quota for the medical school. For the 2025 academic year, the local talent selection ratio for the medical school was expanded from 30.1% to 60%, and in 2026, nursing and pharmacy departments will also introduce local talent selection in regular admissions. High-achieving students from Gangwon high schools receive scholarship benefits including living expenses support until their third year. We operate a ‘Recommendation Hiring Program’ in cooperation with local companies, ‘Campus Recruiting’ and ‘Job Fairs’ where companies directly visit the university to provide hiring information, and ‘Company Exploration’ programs.

- In addition to the declining school-age population, the risk of regional extinction is also a concern for universities. What efforts is KNU making?

▲ First, we are pursuing four major strategies to achieve a university budget of 1 trillion KRW. First, we are increasing enrollment rates and accelerating the attraction of international students. Even flagship national universities like KNU find it difficult to sustain themselves in many aspects without attracting international students. We aim to attract 5,000 international students and fill about 20% of the total student body (around 20,000) with international students. Recently, KNU has established KNU Cultural Centers in several countries, increasing contact from Uzbekistan to Indonesia and English-speaking countries. English-speaking students are quite interested in Korea due to K-Culture, and KNU has trust as a flagship national university. Second, we are striving to secure government and local government funding based on the Glocal University 30 Project and RISE system. Third, we aim to expand research funding through industry-academia cooperation and generate revenue through technology commercialization. Lastly, we actively utilize university-owned resources to increase self-generated income. This includes utilizing university facilities such as Baekryeong Sports Center and the Lifelong Education Center, and generating additional revenue through the activation of national property leasing. Growing together with the region and leaping forward as a glocal prestigious university is our vision. The ‘Integrated Kangwon National University’ launching in 2026 will be an important turning point to concretely realize these goals and an opportunity to elevate the university’s research and educational competitiveness to a global level.

Interview by Lee Myung-jin, Head of Social Affairs Department

Compiled by Reporter Choi Young-chan

Jae-Yeon Jeong, President of Kangwon National University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in the President's Office at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon. Photo by Jo Yong-Jun

Who is President Jeong Jae-young?

President Jeong Jae-young (57) is a business administration scholar. He graduated from Korea University’s Business Administration Department, passed the Certified Public Accountant exam, and worked at an accounting firm while continuing his studies. In 2003, he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Accounting at Kangwon National University. After hearing from his advisor that “a position was open,” he applied for the professorship somewhat skeptically and has since consistently pursued the path of a scholar and university CEO. He served as director of the Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation, dean of the College of Business Administration, and dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration before being elected president last June. He has been leading KNU for seven months.

He is a native of Gangwon Province. Although born and educated in Seoul, he and his spouse and three children have long since transferred their resident registration to Chuncheon. President Jeong proudly said, “I boast to the mayor of Chuncheon that I have increased Chuncheon’s population by five.” Throughout the interview, he displayed the meticulousness typical of a business scholar and the shyness characteristic of someone devoted to academia. “I took the CPA exam following a friend and worked at an accounting firm, but I wanted to study from the time I entered university,” he said. However, when discussing KNU’s future, he looked the interviewer straight in the eye and spoke emphatically: “University education should not pursue only efficiency as defined in business administration but must secure sustainability through innovation.”

He said, “I want to lead KNU to become a university that not only achieves academic results but also partners with the local community to realize a future-oriented vision,” adding, “I want to create a university that all members take pride in and that the local community supports and loves.” The slogan recently adopted by KNU under his leadership is ‘One Dream Together! Glocal Leader, Kangwon National University.’