Everyone's talking, but not everyone can be heard. In order for people to actually know what's happening in the ivory tower, for academics to be a part of public opinion, people have to be able to reach your thoughts, and easily, too. So, who's in hold of the loudspeakers that ring out over the nation's corners and alleys?

We can say with assurance that in Korea, at least, the faculty members and graduates of Seoul National University lead the written media.

Just take a look through the local dailies -- the stuff people actually read. A study conducted by the Korean Press Foundation in April shows that, in the past year 2006, there were 811 columnists who contributed more than 3 articles to the top 10 Korean dailies.

And who are they? Of the 718 whose alma maters are known, 255, the majority by far, are either faculty or graduates of Seoul National University.

More than half of the total 811 are college professors, and most of them boast titles from Seoul National University's College of Social Sciences, especially the School of Economics and Department of International Relations, or College of Law. SNU graduates in other spheres of work also actively contribute to the press.

Through the press, the faculty and graduates of Seoul National University lead today's academic fields -- it isn't just word-of-mouth, but hard statistics. Seoul National University is true to its mission of nurturing informed and effective opinion leaders who will guide Korean society.

July 11, 2007
SNU PR Office
Written by Yejeong Park (SNU English Editor)