Dongguk University (동국대학교, DGU) is a major private research university based in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1906 as Myeongjin School (명진학교) by the Wonheungsa Buddhist association under the Joseon Buddhist community, it is one of the few Buddhist-affiliated comprehensive universities in the world, managed by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Dongguk played a central role in Korea’s early 20th-century national enlightenment and independence movements, particularly through Buddhist reformer and poet Han Yong-un (Manhae). Achieving full university status in 1953, Dongguk is celebrated as the undisputed pioneer of Police Administration and criminal justice in South Korea, alongside world-renowned reputations in film and performing arts, Korean literature, Buddhist studies, and clinical bio-medicine through its Ilsan and Gyeongju medical centers.

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