Wonsan Agricultural University () is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. The university was established in 1948 and is accredited by the North Korean Ministry of Education.

History

Before becoming a university in 1948, Wonsan Agricultural University was the site of the

Territorial Abbey of Tokwon Tokwon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of Missionary Benedictines of Saint Ottilien, located near the town of Wonsan in what is now North Korea. Founded as a monastic mission in Seoul, the community transferred to Tokwon in ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monks belonging to the Congregation of Missionary Benedictines of Saint Ottilien founded the abbey in 1927-28. First, a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

building was built, and then between 1929 and 1932 a Neo-Romanesque

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

and a church were both built. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, after the liberation of Korea and surrender of Japan in 1945, the abbey remained and continued operating. In 1948-49, the abbey was closed and was turned into Wonsan Agricultural University. The seminary was turned into the No. 2 Teaching building and the monastery-church was turned into the No. 1 Teaching Building. The university was the first agricultural university in the county of North Korea. During the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, the No. 1 Teaching Building was bombed and partially destroyed. Following the bombings, the building was repaired. The monks, still part of the Territorial Abbey of Tokwon moved to

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 ...

and established

Waegwan Abbey Saint Maurus and Saint Placidus Abbey, Waegwan, Chilgok, North Gyeongsang, South Korea is a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of Missionary Benedictines of Saint Ottilien. Established in 1952 by Korean monks who had survived the dissolut ...

in 1952. Around 1980, a four story dormitory was built for the purpose of housing foreign students. Currently, Wonsan Agricultural University is the largest agricultural university in North Korea.

Education

Students at Wonsan Agricultural University learn under the

Juche ideology ''Juche'' ( ; ), officially the ''Juche'' idea (), is the state ideology of North Korea and the official ideology of the Workers' Party of Korea. North Korean sources attribute its conceptualization to Kim Il-sung, the country's founder and ...

. At the university, students learn about farming, agricultural management economics, veterinary sciences, animal husbandry, agricultural biology, fruit farming, geology/mineral sciences, and other agricultural related fields. Wonsan Agricultural University offers a five-year degree program. Foreign students are able to apply to the university and if accepted, they are taught Korean until they can integrate with the regular students.

Faculties

Wonsan Agricultural University's campus is composed of the No. 1 Teaching Building and the No. 2 Teaching Building, a library, administration buildings, dormitories, miniature practice farms, and a greenhouse that

Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

once stood in. The greenhouse has a red triangle marking the location where Kim Jong-il stood and he was also known to often visit the university. The area surrounding the university grounds is dense with trees and contains a pine tree planted in 1890, which is considered one of the "State Natural Treasures" by the North Korean government.

Wonsan University of Fisheries

The Wonsan University of Fisheries was founded in 1959 and was a former department of the Wonsan Agricultural University. The University of Fisheries trains fishery technicians in marine product processing, fish breeding and aquaculture, and mechanical engineering. The Wonsan University of Fisheries also has its own training ship.

References

{{authority control Universities in North Korea Educational institutions established in 1948 1948 establishments in North Korea