PNU Says Goodbye to Yewonjeong

Yewonjeong, one of the symbols of Pusan National University (PNU), is becoming a part of history.

On September 25th, the administrative office of PNU’s College of Social Sciences announced that Yewonjeong, located in front of the Social Sciences building, will be demolished in February or March 2026 when the “Social Sciences Building Reconstruction” project begins. Built in 1979, PNU’s Social Sciences Building was slated for reconstruction in October 2022. The project aims to consolidate the College of Social Science’s dispersed classes into a single location while improving aging facilities and securing preservation storage for the library. The construction of the building, originally scheduled for 2028 at a cost of 38 billion won, has been delayed due to design setbacks and is now expected in January or February 2029.

With the reconstruction of the Social Sciences Building, Yewonjeong will be reconfigured into a new space. The perspective drawing displayed in the building’s lobby shows that Yewonjeong will be transformed into “Yewon Courtyard,” a grassy area centered around the central walkway connecting Geumjeong Hall and Saebyeokbeol Library. Additionally, the retaining wall separating the existing Yewonjeong and Saebyeokbeol Library will be demolished to create “Harmony Hill,” a sloped lawn. Regarding these changes, Dean Jang Deok-Hyeon (Prof. of Library and Information Science, PNU) stated, “While the form of the newly configured outdoor space may change depending on the Head Office’s landscaping plan,  Yewonjeong is scheduled to be demolished.”

The demolition of Yewonjeong is necessary because the scale of the new Social Sciences Building exceeds the existing Yewonjeong site. According to a press release distributed in December 2023 regarding the reconstruction of PNU’s Social Sciences Building, the new building will occupy a site area of 9,286 square meters with a total floor area of 14,760 square meters. Dean Jang stated, “The new building will extend to the entrance flowerbed facing Yewonjeong.” He continued adding, “It is difficult to proceed with the Social Hall reconstruction while maintaining Yewonjeong.”

The early appearance of Yewonjeong, created alongside the construction of the Social Science Building, differed from its current form. Originally, it was a grassy field without a pergola or walkways, serving for a long time as a rest area for campus members and a venue for student cultural events. A pergola, flower beds, and a circular fountain were installed in April 1985, but the fountain was removed in 1988, resulting in the current circular lawn layout seen today. Before it was given an official name, it was variously called “Adenai Plaza,” “Sajan (Meaning Social Sciences Building Lawn in Korean),” “The Lawn,” or “The Garden in Front of the Social Sciences Building.” In February 2009, through a campus-wide contest, it was named Yewonjeong, meaning “The Place Where Etiquette Originates” in Korean.

Meanwhile, according to the “Report on the Progress of Social Sciences Building Renovation” published on the College of Social Sciences website on April 1st, 2025, the renovation plan for the Social Sciences Building was finalized in October 2022. Through a design service competition in May 2023, the winning design was selected in October 2023. Although design services commenced soon after, they were suspended for seven months from September 2024 to March 2025 due to budget shortages and the design services were ultimately finalized in August 2025. The College of Social Sciences’ administration office, lecture rooms, student council room, research labs, and graduate offices will temporarily relocate to the Biology Building, College of Natural Sciences Research and Laboratory Building, Engineering Building #10, and Engineering Building #8 between January and February 2026. They are scheduled to move into the new Social Sciences Building between January and February 2029.

Reported by Song Min-Soo

Translated by Channel PNU