Sungkyunkwan University was founded at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1398 as the highest national educational institute in the early years of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. As the oldest university in East Asia, it has fostered leaders of our society for over 600 years.

'SKKU's main ideology, 수기치인 (修己治人) pronounced 'Su-Gi-Chi-In', teaches that SKKU students strive to perfect themselves as leaders and contribute to our society.
This ideology is the fundamental principle by which SKKU brought up leaders of our society for over 600 years, thus contributing to evolution of our society. Sungkyunkwan University,' continuously strives to integrate its founding action philosophy with the modern technology in order with a view to cultivating global graduate’s talents who will lead the 21st century.

Old Sungkyunkwan was founded over 600 years ago by royal decree to promote education the scholarship in Confucianism. As nation's highest educational institution, Old Sungkyunkwan went through vicissitudes change with the country it served over the centuries. What the University has achieved in the past fifty years meets and exceeds that of the preceding history.

The deep roots of the University are so strongly entwined with Seoul that we cannot describe the University in isolation from the city. The University is located inside the city walls, within the original capital of Joseon. Located on the original Sungkyunkwan site, the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus is spread over a hill looking down on Jongmyo Royal Shrine, which has been designated by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Just like Seoul, the University grew rapidly, and the expansion called for building a new campus.

The original site was preserved for the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus, while the expanding science programs were moved to a new campus in Suwon. Currently, 6 schools and 3 colleges and many graduate schools call the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus their home. To commemorate the founding philosophy of the University, the 600th Anniversary Building which houses the Academy of East Asian Studies was constructed on this campus. This new facility has a floor space of 31,930 square meters with four underground levels and six ground levels.