SKY is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

used to refer to the three most prestigious universities in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

Korea University Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities. The ...

, and

Yonsei University Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the "SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in the ...

. The term is widely used in South Korea, both in media and by the universities themselves. In South Korea, admission to one of the SKY universities is widely considered as determining one's career and social status. Many of South Korea's most influential politicians, lawyers, physicians, engineers, journalists, professors, and policymakers (bureaucrats) have graduated from one of the SKY universities.

Members

History

*1885: Former Institute of Severance Medical College and Hospital (Part of

) was established. First modern hospital and academic institution built in Korea. *1895: Former Institute of Seoul National University College of Law was established. *1905:

Bosung College Korea University (KU, ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea, established in 1905. The university is included as one of the SKY universities, a popular acronym referring to Korea's three most prestigious universities. T ...

established *1915: Yonhi College established *1924: Headquarters and preparatory departments of

Keijō Imperial University , colloquially referred to as , was an Imperial University of Japan that existed between 1924 and 1946. This university was established in 1924 in Gyeongseong, known as Keijō during the period of Japanese occupation of Korea, now modern-day S ...

was founded by Japan. This university is the main predecessor to

. *1926: Three Departments (Law, Medical Sciences, and Human Sciences) of

were opened by Japan. These were the first official higher education institution during the Colonial period. This university was the only university in Korea at the time due to oppression by Japan. The Japanese government did not approve the establishment of any university except Keijō Imperial University. *1946 August:

founded by merging several Japanese institutions - including Keijō Imperial University - of higher education around Seoul *1946 August: Bosung College renamed

*1946 August: Yonhi College renamed Yonhi University *1957 January: Severance Medical College and Hospital and Yonhi University merged into

National recognition

In 2010, it was reported that 46.3% of high government officials and 50% of CEOs of major financial industries were graduates of SKY universities. Also, over 60% of the students who passed the 2010 Korean Bar examination were graduates of SKY universities. Being admitted in one of these universities typically requires students to be within the top 1% of the Korean

College Scholastic Ability Test The College Scholastic Ability Test or CSAT ( ko, , ), also abbreviated Suneung ( ko, , ), is a standardized test which is recognized by South Korean universities. The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) administers the annual ...

Concerns

There have been a number of SKY university students who have dropped out of school to protest against South Korea's overheated

academic elitism Elitism is the belief or notion that individuals who form an elite—a select group of people perceived as having an intrinsic quality, high intellect, wealth, power, notability, special skills, or experience—are more likely to be construc ...

In popular culture

* ''

SKY Castle ''Sky Castle'' (; stylized as ''SKY Castle'') is a 2018–2019 South Korean television series starring Yum Jung-ah, Lee Tae-ran, Yoon Se-ah, Oh Na-ra, and Kim Seo-hyung. It aired on JTBC on Fridays and Saturdays, from November 23, 2018, to Febru ...

'', a 2018–2019

JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

Friday-Saturday prime time drama, explores the employment of coordinators by parents who wishes their children to enter one of the three colleges, which sometimes does not come without consequences. * In the visual novel game ''

Mystic Messenger ''Mystic Messenger'' (, lit. "Mysterious Messenger") is a South Korean otome game developed by Cheritz. It was released on July 8, 2016 for Android and August 18, 2016 for iOS. The game is described as a "storytelling messenger game" and is av ...

'', main character Yoosung Kim is a student at a school dubbed "SKY University".

Members

History

National recognition

Concerns

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading