History
In the 1950s, social welfare was first introduced in Korea after the Koren War.
A long period of colonization and wartime destructions put many Koreans in severe poverty. Moreover, the rapid industrialization of Korea since the 1960s had further necessitated systems of social protection. Such an increasing demand for social welfare led to the establishment of social work programs in several universities, accommodating the systems of social work education in the United States.
In line with this demand, a graduate program in social work first commenced at Seoul National University in 1959 and an undergraduate program in 1959.
In the early years, the SNU Department of Social Work concentrated on fostering professional social workers. However, since the 1970s, the recognition of structural social problems has raised the need for more policy-oriented education and research. In response to this changing academic demand, the Department changed its name to the ‘Department of Social Welfare’ and adjusted its curriculum by increasing courses in social policy.
In January 1990, the Institute of Social Welfare was founded as part of the Center for Social Sciences at SNU. The Institute encourages collaborative work between faculty members and graduate students and seeks to expand external networks in social welfare research. The Institute has undertaken various research in policy analysis and program development/evaluation in social service, making significant contributions to the discipline as well as to the field of practice in Korean social welfare.
Since the 2000s, the Department has focused on developing research-oriented graduate programs in an international outlook. In response to rapid globalization and demographic transitions, we have expanded collaborations with government organizations and international research institutions. We now aim to foster global experts in social welfare who can contribute to the improvement of human welfare not only in Korean society but also in the globalized world.
