Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), led by President Yang O-bong, held its New Year's opening ceremony on January 2, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Donghaeng Hall on the 7th floor of the JBNU International Center, marking a vigorous start to the Year of the Fire Horse (Byeong-o Year).

The ceremony was attended by more than 150 faculty and staff members, including President Yang O-bong, headquarters officials, and members of the academic affairs committee, who exchanged New Year's greetings and reaffirmed the university's commitment to a new leap forward.

The event opened with New Year's greetings followed by the presentation of government awards and presidential citations. The Presidential Citation for Outstanding Public Servant was awarded to Kim Myung-sook, Administrative Officer, Division of Industry-University Cooperation, Industry-University Cooperation. The Prime Minister's Citation for Exemplary Civil Servant was presented to Im Mi-hyun, Team Leader, Division of Facilities, Administration Bureau. Minister of Education citations and the President's citations followed, recognizing faculty and staff who contributed to the university's development and the advancement of key initiatives.

Campus road names and improvements to outdoor facilities were then shared in a presentation by Jang Tae-il, Director of the Division of Campus Design. JBNU systematically organized road names to provide accurate location information for buildings and spaces on campus and to assign symbolic significance to each section. Drawing on the university motto—Freedom, Justice, Creativity—and the example of martyr Lee Sejong, the university designated names such as Jayu-ro (Freedom Road), Jeongui-ro (Justice Road), Changjo-ro (Creativity Road), and Lee Sejong-ro. It also assigned names reflecting the characteristics of nearby colleges, such as Gonghang-ro and Nokdu-ro, to give academic fields distinct symbolic identities.

This initiative was highlighted as an example of the inseparable unity between internal and external innovation—how educational and research innovation translates into tangible changes in campus space and environment—and thus carries particular significance as a change that members can directly experience.

The presentation also reviewed major facility projects carried out from 2023 to 2025. It reported that JBNU has been building a campus environment in which learning, research, and rest are organically connected through projects such as the construction of Medical School Building No. 4, creation of a parking lot in the medical school area, expansion of the School of Pharmacy, reconstruction of the Student Town (BTL) and creation of the Student Town plaza, and refurbishment of major walkways and plazas. Sidewalk repairs around the College of Business and Economics and expansion work on the Jinsudang parking lot are currently underway. In 2026, construction of an Animal Experimentation Center, a Industry–Academic Convergence Plaza, and the establishment of a University History Museum are also planned.

In his New Year's address, President Yang O-bong said, "As we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, JBNU is ready to leap forward once again," and added, "With the 80th anniversary of our founding approaching, our university stands at the starting line of a new challenge."

President Yang cited last year's achievements, including being selected as the lead university for a KRW 1 trillion-scale Physical AI demonstration project, laying the groundwork for building an AI campus, and achieving first place for seven consecutive years in student satisfaction (KS-SQI) among national universities as assessed by the Korean Standards Association. He expressed gratitude, noting, "All these accomplishments were made possible by the dedication and passion of every member of our community."

He then outlined the main priorities for 2026: attracting the project to "Create 10 Institutions on Par with Seoul National University" for national balanced growth; realizing tangible outcomes from the Glocal University project; and completing the AI Campus by embedding AI across education, research, and administration.

President Yang emphasized, "If we unite our efforts, JBNU can become a research-focused university that the world takes notice of and advance into the global Top 100."

After the ceremony, all attendees exchanged New Year's greetings and strengthened their resolve for the year ahead. They shared the first meal of the year at a tteokguk (rice cake soup) event held in the university cafeteria. After lunch, President Yang and senior officials visited the Imsil National Cemetery for Patriots to pay New Year's respects to those who sacrificed for the country.

President Yang concluded, "2026 is an important year in which JBNU prepares for another great leap. Let us build the Year of the Fire Horse together with love, passion, and the power of our community."