Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) reaffirmed its status as the country's leading Hanok education institution after being selected in both the design and construction categories of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 2026 Hanok Specialized Workforce Training Program.

The JBNU Hanok Architecture Project Group (Director Lee Yang-su) recently announced that it had been selected for both the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'Hanok Design Specialized Workforce Training Program' and 'Hanok Construction Manager Training Program.' This national project trains specialized personnel in the Hanok field for licensed architects and architectural professionals. JBNU is the only institution selected for both programs.

Since the year the Hanok design course was introduced, JBNU has been consistently selected for the program, and for the past four years it has run both the design and construction programs. To date, it has produced about 2,000 specialists in Hanok design and construction management and has continued its achievements, including being repeatedly designated as an outstanding training institution.

The Hanok Construction Manager Training Program is a six-month course for architects and construction professionals. It will recruit trainees from March 27 to April 24, 2026. Training will take place every Saturday from May through October 2026. Theoretical lectures will be held on the Jeonju Campus, and practical training will be conducted on the Gochang Campus. The completion ceremony will be held in December 2026, and an exhibition showcasing the trainees' final projects will be held concurrently.

The Hanok Design Specialized Workforce Training Program is a four-month course for licensed architects and designers. Recruitment will be held during the same period. The program will run from June through October 2026 and, like the construction management course, will use both the Jeonju and Gochang campuses.

Notably, this year's curriculum extends beyond design-centered instruction to emphasize detailed Shop Drawings and BIM-based REVIT design. As a result, graduates of previous programs are expected to strengthen their practical skills through re-training.

The curriculum comprises lectures, design and construction practicums, visits to Hanok villages and architectural field trips, and special lectures. JBNU faculty, along with Hanok experts from across the country, will participate to enhance the program's professional quality.

The Hanok Architecture Project Group has also engaged in activities that return educational outcomes to society. The pavilions built by trainees have been donated to the university campus, the National Intangible Heritage Center, and local schools to increase public utilization. Building on this foundation, the group has achieved Hanok exports to countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Russia. Approximately 10 countries and more than 20 projects are currently underway.

In addition, trainees participate in community service, carrying out housing improvements for elderly residents living alone in rural areas and multicultural families, as well as fence painting, thereby practicing the social role of specialized personnel.

JBNU has also operated various Hanok experience programs and international exhibitions for adolescents, university students, and foreigners. Recently, a Hanok exhibition was held at Seonunsa Temple in connection with the World Jamboree.

The Gochang Campus currently hosts a top-level Hanok architecture practice facility where skills training is underway. The graduate school operates the country's only Hanok major as a regular department, the Department of Hanok, strengthening the system for training specialists. The university has introduced 'Introduction to Hanok' as a liberal arts course at national and regional universities in Jeonbuk to provide specialized education linked to the local community. In particular, by offering 'Introduction to Hanok' as a K-MOOC course and as a liberal arts subject at flagship national universities, JBNU prides itself on being the nation's premier Hanok education institution. 

Director Lee Yang-su said, 'Through systematic education covering both design and construction and activities that give back to society, we will contribute to the dissemination of Hanok values and the development of the industry.'