Twelve candidates, including incumbent President Yoo Hong-lim, have been confirmed for Seoul National University's next presidential election.
The university said in a notice to media on the 31st that the applicants are Chang Pahn-shick of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lee Jae-young of the College of Humanities, Lee Joon-ho of the College of Natural Sciences, Kim Hyun-chul of the Graduate School of International Studies, Lee Won-woo of the School of Law, Lee Seok-jae of the College of Humanities, Choi Hae-cheon of the College of Engineering, Yoo Jae-joon of the College of Natural Sciences, emeritus professor Choi Man-soo of the College of Engineering, Kang Joon-ho of the College of Education, emeritus professor Cha Sang-kyun of the Graduate School of Data Science and Yoo Hong-lim of the College of Social Sciences, listed in the order their applications were received.
Yoo, who took office in February 2023, is seeking a second term. During Yoo's tenure, the university launched an undergraduate college aimed at broadening students' choice of majors and strengthening foundational liberal arts and interdisciplinary education. It also expanded cooperation with overseas companies through bodies such as the AI Institute and the Robotics Institute.
Cha is making a second bid for the presidency. In the election for the 28th president, Cha was among the three final candidates and competed against Yoo. A specialist in data science and artificial intelligence, Cha has experience in industry-academia cooperation, including founding a startup in Silicon Valley and mergers and acquisitions with global companies.
Professors who have held senior administrative posts also joined the field. Choi Hae-cheon previously served as vice president for research, and Lee Won-woo served as vice president for planning and dean of the School of Law. Lee Jae-young served as dean of student affairs and dean of the College of Humanities.
The presidential recommendation committee will hold presentations by each candidate on Sept. 9 and then select four preliminary candidates. For the first time, the election will use a weighted scoring system under which committee members assign differentiated scores to their four preferred candidates, with the four highest total scores advancing.
Three final candidates will be decided on Oct. 7 after public presentations and policy evaluations. The committee will recommend them to the board of directors, which will select one final candidate. The president is then appointed by the president of South Korea on the recommendation of the education minister.
The 29th president's term begins in February next year. With Yoo confirmed as a candidate for a second term, Vice President for Education Lee Jun-jung will serve as acting president from Sept. 1.
