Since its launch in 1959 as the Science Department of Konkuk University (KU) College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and during its half-century of history, the department has run specialized and differentiated education programs based on the University’s founding philosophy of sincerity, fidelity, and righteousness. Our programs are designed to foster creative experts who can contribute to the development of regional, national, and even the global society. Having awarded a total of 1,300 undergraduate, 270 master’s and 32 Ph.D. degrees, the department has played a pivotal role in the development of chemistry-related industries in Korea.

The Department of Chemistry is currently made up of 11 professors and another four emeritus professors who altogether instruct a total of 150 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. Our team of professors, specialized in physics (3 persons), organic chemistry (3 persons), inorganic chemistry (2 persons), analytical chemistry (2 persons) and biochemistry (2 persons), are recognized for their academic excellence in both Korea and abroad. They are actively conducting a range of fundamental and applied research projects in the main fields of chemistry. The department receives generous funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Seoul city council, and various government ministries. Thanks to this funding, almost all of our graduate students receive scholarships as research or teaching assistants.

In 1997, the chemistry and LCD research group at our department was designated as the main research facility for the G7 project targeted at developing next-generation flat surface devices supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the former Ministry of Science and Technology. Since then, the group has conducted research relating to the development of high speed liquid crystal, the “next big thing” in the 21st century LCD industry, while the research personnel have played pivotal roles at Korea's leading LCD enterprises. In addition, in 2009 the KU-Fraunhofer ISE Next Generation Solar Cell Research Center (KFnSC), together with the Seoul city council and six related enterprises, created a model linking local governments, industry, academia, and research, which has brought forward new growth engines for the solar industry. Research is also being conducted in order to bring the materialization of a clean energy society even closer.