More than six out of 10 full-time faculty members at South Korea’s national and public universities who studied abroad earned their degrees in the United States, highlighting the continued preference for U.S.-educated professors across academia.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Education to the office of lawmaker Kang Kyung Sook of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, 4,102 full-time faculty members at national and public universities held U.S. degrees, accounting for 63.7% of all overseas degree holders.
The figure significantly exceeded those for other major countries. Faculty members with degrees from Japan totaled 735, or 11.4%, followed by the United Kingdom with 382, or 5.9%, and Germany with 372, or 5.8%.
China accounted for 125 faculty members, or 1.9%, while France and Russia represented 190, or 2.9%, and 32, or 0.5%, respectively.
By university, Seoul National University had the largest number of U.S.-educated faculty members at 965, representing 79.9% of its overseas degree-holding faculty.
It was followed by Pusan National University with 311 faculty members, or 75.5%, Kyungpook National University with 291, or 62.2%, and Chungnam National University with 214, or 69.5%.
Chonnam National University recorded 213 U.S.-educated faculty members, or 60.7%, while Kangwon National University had 184, or 53.5%.
The concentration of U.S.-educated faculty was also prominent at national education universities.
At Gyeongin National University of Education, 42 out of 48 overseas degree-holding faculty members, or 87.5%, held U.S. degrees. At Seoul National University of Education, 30 out of 37 faculty members, or 81.1%, earned degrees in the United States.
Some universities, however, showed relatively stronger ties to Japan.
At Pukyong National University, 58 faculty members held Japanese degrees, accounting for 24.3% of overseas degree holders, second only to the United States at 53.6%.
Korea Maritime and Ocean University stood out as the only school where Japanese degree holders, at 48 faculty members or 45.3%, outnumbered those with U.S. degrees, who totaled 31, or 29.2%.
Professors with German degrees were most concentrated at Seoul National University with 61 faculty members, followed by Kyungpook National University with 29 and Chonnam National University with 24.
Faculty members with degrees from English-speaking countries also represented a sizable share overall. Degrees from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada accounted for 382 faculty members, or 5.9%, 83, or 1.3%, and 484, or 7.5%, respectively.
Combined, degrees from English-speaking countries made up 14.7% of overseas degree holders, exceeding the share for Japan alone.
A professor at a national university said the preference for U.S.-educated faculty members remains strong, particularly in advanced fields such as AI, semiconductors and biomedical sciences, where U.S. university research networks and academic influence continue to carry significant weight in hiring decisions.
The professor added that as research competitiveness in China and Europe continues to grow, South Korea should expand academic exchange networks with a wider range of countries.