Chungnam National University merger with Kongju National University postponed indefinitely
Decision delayed hours before scheduled announcement as opposition at Chungnam National University threatens billions of won in government funding
Chungnam National University's campus in Daejeon
CHUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
The planned merger of Chungnam National University (CNU) and Kongju National University has been postponed indefinitely.
CNU announced the postponement in an official press release at 8 a.m. Thursday, just two hours before a scheduled announcement on whether to proceed with the merger.
The university did not provide further details, including the reason for the postponement.
“We sincerely apologize for the confusion caused to those who were waiting for the announcement. We will issue a new notice without delay once the next steps and schedule have been finalized,” the university said in the press release.
Recent votes at the two universities on the proposed merger revealed a significant divide among their respective members.
In a vote held from Sept. 8 to 10, 53.42 percent of CNU voters opposed the merger, while 46.58 percent supported it. Opposition was strongest among undergraduate students, 90.71 percent of whom voted against the plan.
By contrast, 60.56 percent of voters at Kongju National University supported the merger.
The delay could also have significant financial consequences for CNU, as the proposed merger was tied to funding under the government's Glocal University 30 initiative.
In case the university fails to submit a merger application by Dec. 31, it stands to lose 51.6 billion won ($38.5 million) in funding. If it fails to submit the application by Feb. 28 next year, the project could be terminated, potentially requiring the university to return the 12.4 billion won it has already received in government funding.
The Glocal University 30 initiative is a government program under which the Ministry of Education selects 30 universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area to receive up to 100 billion won each to strengthen their competitiveness and support regional development.
This is not the first time CNU has attempted to merge with another university.
In 2022, CNU applied for the Glocal University initiative based on a proposed merger with Hanbat National University and advanced to the preliminary selection stage.
The plan, however, fell through after the two universities failed to resolve differences over issues including the name of the merged institution and the reorganization of their campuses.
BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]
