Three regional universities will receive major funding under the "10 SNUs" initiative, prompting concerns over transparency, politics and widening gaps.
The initiative aims to strengthen Korea’s nine flagship national universities outside the capital by bringing their education and research capabilities closer to those of SNU and turning them into hubs for regional industries and talent.
The selection, however, has drawn pushback from lawmakers and the six universities left out, who argue the process was opaque and warn the resulting funding gap could deepen, rather than close, regional inequality.
Here is what to know about the 10 SNUs initiative and the government's plan to strengthen regional universities.
What is the 10 SNUs initiative?
The initiative is based on the idea of developing Korea’s nine other flagship national universities to a level comparable to SNU while allowing each school to serve as a hub for regional development.
The government argues that strengthening these universities could help address the concentration of talent and resources in the Seoul metropolitan area and contribute to more balanced regional development.
What’s behind the name?
In Korea, where competition for university admission is intense, SNU is widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious university.
International rankings also reflect SNU’s standing. It ranked 38th globally in the 2027 QS World University Rankings and 15th in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, achieving the highest ranking among Korean universities.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin announces the selection of Pusan National University, Chonnam National University and Chungnam National University for a government funding program on Sept. 1.YONHAP
Why is the initiative necessary?
One of the key issues the initiative seeks to address is the considerable gap in educational spending and resources between SNU and regional flagship national universities.
SNU spends about 60 million won ($44,600) per student, based on annual educational expenditure per enrollee, while educational expenditure at other regional flagship national universities stands at 25 million won or less.
The government hopes that greater investment in these universities will strengthen undergraduate education and research while making regional universities more attractive to students and researchers.
The initiative is called “10 SNUs.” Why were only three universities selected?
The government announced in April that it would first select three universities to ensure an “effective push and safe landing” of the initiative before expanding the policy further.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said at the time that the government believed it would be more effective to first support three universities that had well-prepared plans and establish a successful model rather than distribute support equally among all nine flagship national universities. He also said the initiative would “never be dropped.”
The government has not yet finalized whether or when additional universities will be selected. The issue is expected to be discussed during the National Assembly’s budget review, along with an assessment of whether the three selected universities can successfully implement their plans.
How were the three universities selected?
The Education Ministry shared its evaluation framework with the nine flagship national universities in July.
The criteria included how well each university’s plan aligned with broader regional development strategies, the connection between the university’s specialized fields and the region’s growth industries and the university’s potential to serve as a hub with an impact across the wider region.
Based on the evaluation, the ministry said Pusan National University and Chonnam National University would be developed as key hubs for the southern maritime and energy regions, while Chungnam National University would become a key university for the central region’s science sector.
What benefits will the selected universities receive?
From this year through 2030, the Education Ministry plans to provide approximately 70 billion won annually to each selected university under the initiative.
A view of Chonnam National University's campus in GwangjuJOONGANG ILBO
Why is the announcement controversial?
The announcement came earlier than universities expected. Universities had anticipated that the results would be announced later this month but learned of the selection on Tuesday, just a week before the start of early admissions.
The timing has raised concerns that the announcement could affect students’ university choices by highlighting the additional support expected to go to the three selected schools.
The selection has also drawn questions over whether political considerations played a role. The three universities are in cities whose mayors are affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party.
The controversy comes amid broader debate over the government’s recent decisions involving the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region, commonly known in Korea as TK, including plans related to administrative integration and government-backed investment in advanced strategic industries.
What are the other six flagship national universities?
The six universities that were not selected are Kangwon National University, Kyungpook National University, Gyeongsang National University, Jeonbuk National University, Jeju National University and Chungbuk National University.
How did the other universities react?
The unselected universities warn that if the funding gap persists for five years, it could widen differences in education and research capabilities and undermine the initiative’s goal of balanced regional development.
The six universities that were not selected are expected to receive 30 billion to 40 billion won each annually through programs to revamp undergraduate education and shared university development. The three selected universities will also receive that baseline funding, plus the additional 70 billion won annually under the 10 SNUs initiative — meaning each selected university will receive about 70 billion won more per year than each unselected university.
The presidents of the six universities issued a joint statement calling for all nine flagship national universities to receive support, saying that “all nine flagship national universities should lead the development of each region to make balanced national growth possible.”
The professors’ association at Kyungpook National University separately called on the Education Ministry to disclose its selection process and detailed evaluation scores in a statement on Wednesday.
Pusan National University's campus in BusanPUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
How did the political circle react?
The selection has drawn criticism from both liberal and conservative opposition parties.
Rep. Lee In-seon of the People Power Party raised questions about the evaluation process, saying the party would thoroughly scrutinize the selection through the National Assembly’s Education Committee, the upcoming parliamentary audit and the budget review process.
Lee said the party would seek the disclosure of the evaluation committee members, detailed evaluation results for each university and the specific grounds for the selection, while urging the Education Ministry to make the process transparent.
What is the government’s response?
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin, who announced the selection at a press briefing on Tuesday, rejected claims that the universities were selected according to regional allocation.
The ministry has emphasized that the three universities were selected based on their potential to serve as regional hubs and their plans to connect universities with local governments, industries and research institutions.
The government has also said that starting with three universities will allow it to establish a workable model before expanding the initiative.
Could the policy affect university admissions?
Some observers believe so. According to Jinhak Apply, a university application platform, the mock application rate for Pusan National University as of Wednesday was up 0.33 percentage points from the previous year. The rate rose 0.21 percentage points for Chungnam National University and 0.03 percentage points for Chonnam National University.
By comparison, the rate fell 0.09 percentage points for Kyungpook National University and 0.26 percentage points for Chungbuk National University.
Chungnam National University's campus in Yuseong District, Daejeon.CHUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
What happens next?
The Education Ministry said it will refine the specific plans for the three universities through discussions by the steering committee and consultations with relevant ministries.
It also plans to establish a separate management committee to oversee the initiative and establish key performance indicators jointly with the selected universities, local governments and private-sector partners.
Are there other policies aimed at strengthening regional universities?
The “10 SNUs” initiative is part of a broader government push to strengthen regional universities.
The government recently announced a plan to provide free tuition to freshmen at 30 regional national universities, a move that could also influence university choices and admissions for the upcoming academic year.
The plan has drawn opposition from regional private universities, which argue that focusing support on national universities could put private schools at a disadvantage and accelerate regional depopulation.
On Monday, professors’ associations from 10 regional private universities issued a joint statement opposing the plan, saying that policies focused primarily on regional national universities could put other private universities at risk and further contribute to the decline of regional communities.
