The Highest Place on Gwanak Campus? The highest building on the main campus of SNU can be seen at once upon entering the main gate - the 1st Engineering Education & Research Building (Bldg. #301) located halfway up Gwanak Mountain. Just how tall is this building? The site this building is built on is 189.3 meters above sea level, and the actual height of the building itself (including the basement floors) is 73.4 meters. The grand total of 258 meters for the Engineering Education & Research Building is the rough equivalent of Namsan (Nam Mountain, 262 meters above sea level) and the 63 Building (the tallest public attraction building in Korea, at 264 meters).
The Oldest Building?It was in 1975 that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Dongsoong-dong, the College of Business in Jongam-dong, and the College of Engineering in Gongreung-dong, as well as other departments spread across Seoul all moved to the new Gwanak Campus. This was also the time when the Administration Building, the Student Center and buildings for the College of Humanities and the College of Education were built. However, one building kept its place even before this. The Faculty Club (Bldg. #65), located above Budeulgol (Willow Valley), was originally built in 1967 to be used as a clubhouse for a golf course that was to be situated on the site of Gwanak Campus. After SNU moved in, the building was changed into the Faculty Club. The Faculty Club remains the oldest building on campus, with its exterior features the same as they were when it was built.
The Biggest Building? The biggest buildings at SNU are the SPC Science Research Buildings (Bldg. #500 of the Natural Sciences Complex), with a total floor area of 54,002 square meters. This is four times the area of Seoul Plaza (13,207 square meters), and is even larger than the total floor area of the entire 12 floors of the new Gwanak District Office building (32,379 square meters). Completed in 2007, Building #500 consists of 4 connected buildings with 6 floors above-ground and 2 basement floors. Inside there are basic lecture rooms, large lecture halls, laboratories and professors - offices, as well as coffee shops, a cafeteria, bank and fitness center. This building is almost fit to be called the 'multiplex' of SNU.
Which Lecture Room Can Hold the Most Students?
The lecture room that is able to hold the most students is Room 108 in Building 26. The room consists of two floors, with 350 seats in total, and holds large classes such as 'Gwanak Omnibus Course', 'Introduction to Human Life Science', and 'Macroeconomics'. Next up is Room 118 in the 1st Engineering Education & Research Building with a capacity of 314 people. This room has broadcasting facilities such as 3 wireless microphones and 2 corded microphones, as well as 6 centralized heating/cooling systems？facilities fit for the large lecture room it is.
The Oldest Cultural Heritage at SNU?
The oldest cultural heritage items that SNU possesses are National Treasure 148: Sipchilsachangogeumtongyo (History of China, Volumes 16 and 17), and National Treasure 150: Songjopyojeonchongnyu. Sipchilsachangogeumtongyo was written by Ho Jeongbang, an eminent scholar of Yuan China, who summarized the 17 authentic chronicle records from ancient history through the Five Dynasties of China. This book is presumed to have been printed and published later in Yi Korea by use of the copper type called"Gyemija type" in the 12th year of King Taejong (1412), the third king of the Joseon Dynasty. Songjopyojeonchongnyu was donated by Garam Lee Byung-gee, and is a book that published in Gyemija the most outstanding of appeals from the Song Dynasty in China. Gyemija is a valuable reference in the letter casting and typesetting techniques of the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. The two books above are especially valuable in the research of types because Gyemija was used for such a short period, and not many books using Gyemija are left. Songjopyojeonchongnyu is currently possessed by the Central Library, and Sipchilsachangogeumtongyo is at Kyujanggak on a long-term loan for research.
When widening the search to relics, there are cultural heritage items at SNU that date back to the Stone Age. The oldest relics are from the Paju Jangsanri ruins that the SNU Museum investigated, and are assumed to be at least 200,000 years old. Relics of the Stone Age such as the hand axe, cleaver, and sharp-edged chopper and more are currently on display at the SNU Museum.
The Most Expensive Laboratory Equipment?
The most expensive laboratory equipment at SNU is the 'Vacuum Evaporator' donated to the Inter-university Semiconductor Research Center in 2004 - worth two billion Korean won. The next most expensive piece of equipment is the 'Photo-resist Stepper', also at the Inter-university Semiconductor Research Center. It is valued at 1.92 billion Korean won and was also donated. Third place goes to the 'Particle Measuring Instrument' in the National Center for Inter-University Research Facilities (NCIRF), being valued at 1.91 billion Korean won, and fourth place to the 'Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer' in the National Instrumentation Center for Environmental Management (NICEM) at 1.7 billion won. The Longest Period of Service in a Professorship or Work Post at SNU?
Considering the employment of full-time instructors at present (October 2009), Professor Lee, Myun Woo of the Department of Industrial Engineering is the professor who has been teaching at SNU for the longest period of time. He was appointed in November 1971 and has been teaching at SNU for the past 38 years. Professor Lee is due to retire in February 2011, so this title is anticipated to hold for a while. Following are Professor Yun, Ke Sop of the College of Business Administration (36 years), Professor Yun, Hye Suk of the College of Pharmacy (35 years) and Professor Park, Jeong Sik of the College of Business Administration (35 years). Employed in July 1976, President Lee, Jang-Moo is in 5th place with Professor Kang, Tak (Dept. of Material Science and Engineering).
The employee with the longest period of service in a work post is Ahn, Hui-Gook at the administrative office of the SNU Health Service Center. He was employed in March 1971 and has been working at SNU for over 38 years.
The Busiest Cafeteria on Campus and Favorite Menu?
The cafeteria that students visit the most is, by far, the Student Center Cafeteria. This cafeteria serves approximately 5,200 meals a day on weekdays during the semester. Following closely are Cafeteria #3 which serves 4,600 meals a day, and Jahayeon Cafeteria which serves 1,900 meals.
The most popular menu last year was galbitang (beef rib soup) - a total of 47,654 servings were sold. Considering the fact that the total number of SNU faculty, employees and students last year was 34 thousand, it can be said that every person at SNU had one or more servings of galbitang. The set menu with bulgogi (barbecued beef) followed in sales with a total of 30,378 servings.
Bestselling Items at SNU Stores?
Bottled water sold the most in stores up until the end of August 2009, with a total of 161,887 bottles purchased. The next most popular item was the champion of a few years back, coffee-flavored milk, with 101,372 cartons sold. Gim-bap (rice rolled in laver with a variety of fillings) followed, with 89,017 packs of gim-bap sold and 83,124 single rolls of gim-bap in aluminum foil sold. When it comes to souvenirs, the SNU badge (1,200 Korean won) was most popular, with 34,272 badges sold; 30,920 SNU notebooks (1,500 won) were sold, taking second place.
Nov. 23, 2009
Written by Eungyoung Kim, SNU English Editor