» Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, third from the right, speaks to CEOs of small and medium enterprises about his intentions to establish a new Seoul National University (SNU) College of Engineering campus in Sejong City while on a hike together on Kwanak Mountain Trail near SNU’s campus in Seoul, Nov. 22.

It has been reported that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) has considered increasing the enrollment quota of some universities, such as Seoul National University (SNU), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Korea University, which have all been exploring the possibility of opening campuses in Sejong City.

Um Sang-hyun, senior official of MEST, said on Sunday, “If some universities, including Seoul National University, were to open campus branches in Sejong, MEST would raise the enrollment limits for those universities.” He added, “Since Sejong City is not in the capital area, if those universities are able to meet conditions that include securing the requisite faculty, they would be permitted to open up campuses there.” He added, “However, it will require a resolution by the Lee government because universities like SNU and KAIST will require further government subsidies for their campus expansions.”

It has also been confirmed that MEST is considering allowing total enrollment for campuses in Sejong City to grow to 6 thousand.

Analysts are saying this could lead to some controversy because up until now MEST has been opposed to increasing the enrollment quotas of universities based on the premise of maintaining educational quality, and has gone so far as to encourage South Korean universities to decrease their numbers.

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