Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) held a New Year's opening ceremony at New Silk Road Center Donghaeng Hall on January 2, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., marking a vigorous start to the Year of Gapjin (甲辰).

The ceremony was attended by President Yang O-bong, headquarters officials, deans of the colleges, Choi Byung-seon, President of the Jeonbuk National University Alumni Association, Kim Dong-geun, Chair of the Faculty Council, and some 200 faculty and staff members, who exchanged New Year's greetings.

In particular, all attendees exchanged New Year's greetings and pledged to advance the university as a flagship institution leading regional development. At lunch, they shared tteokguk in the university dining hall, beginning the first day of the new year with vitality.

At the ceremony, President's Awards were presented to Professor Jung-hee Lee (Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Graduate School), who received the Korea Engineering Award—the nation's highest science and technology honor—for world-class research achievements in engineering, and to Professor Tae-jin Kim (Department of Industrial and Information Systems Engineering, College of Engineering), who made headlines for subduing a street assailant.

At the government awards presentation, staff members Seong Eun-kyung (Office of Educational Innovation), Lee Mi-hyun (Division of Facilities), Kim Dae-young (Division of Facilities), Ko Kyung-min (Industry-University Cooperation Office), Kim Seok-hwan (Division of Academic Support), Kim Seon-woong (Division of Financial Planning), Choi Yoon-jung (Division of General Affairs), and Noh Yoon-kyung (Division of Student Support) each received the Minister of Education's Commendation. The Office of International Affairs received a commendation from the Director of the National Institute for International Education.

After lunch, President Yang O-bong and university officials visited the Imsil National Cemetery to pay New Year's respects to the fallen patriots.

In his opening remarks, President Yang O-bong said, "Over the past year we secured substantial national funding, including selection for the Glocal University 30 Project, and achieved many positive outcomes that significantly enhanced the university's standing, such as ranking first among national flagship universities in the comprehensive university evaluation." He expressed gratitude to the university community for their dedication, saying, "These achievements were possible because faculty members quietly devoted themselves to teaching and research despite difficult circumstances, staff members practiced service improvements that moved people, and our students have been growing as glocal talents."

He continued, "If last year was a year in which our university laid a solid foundation for a new leap forward, this year, as the Year of the Blue Dragon, must become a year of soaring onto the global stage." He added, "To do so, everyone in the university must unite their wisdom and will to lead bold innovations toward realizing the flagship university we aspire to."

To that end, he urged everyone to work together to carry out without fail the innovation tasks planned by JBNU under the Glocal University 30 Project to transform into a student-centered university, a region-cooperative university, and a global hub university.

President Yang said, "I intend to declare 2024 as the inaugural year of a student-centered university. 'A Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) of the students, by the students, and for the students' — let us build this together." He emphasized, "Like the wind and clouds meeting to propel a dragon to the sky (Pung-un-ji-hoe, 風雲之會), let us join our efforts so that our students, using JBNU as a stepping stone, can rise as dragons leading regional and national development."