On the crisp morning of February 23, 2026, Yonsei University’s open-air theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, was alive with anticipation and pride. The university’s February 2026 degree conferment ceremony, an annual rite of passage, unfolded under a clear sky, drawing together a tapestry of graduates, families, faculty, and distinguished guests. It was a day marked not only by formalities and tradition, but by a palpable sense of hope and resolve—emotions that seemed to ripple across the crowd as the ceremony commenced at 10:30 AM.
This year’s ceremony was significant in both scale and sentiment. According to reporting from Dong-A Ilbo and News1, a remarkable 5,606 graduates crossed the stage: 2,839 receiving bachelor’s degrees, 2,243 earning their master’s, and 524 achieving the distinction of a doctorate. The numbers alone testified to the university’s enduring role as a crucible for talent and ambition, but it was the words spoken from the podium that gave the day its particular resonance.
Presiding over the event, President Yoon Dong-seop addressed the graduates and their loved ones with a speech that felt both timely and timeless. He began by acknowledging the journey that had brought the students to this pivotal moment. “Today you stand at a new starting line, having completed years of learning,” he remarked, his tone both congratulatory and contemplative. President Yoon’s message was clear: the time spent at Yonsei was not just about acquiring knowledge, but about transforming a space of possibility into a place shaped by each individual’s experiences and life stories.
Yet, the president did not shy away from the challenges facing this cohort. He spoke candidly about the uncertainty of the times, urging graduates not to lose their capacity for questioning and self-reflection. “In an era of uncertainty, do not lose the power to ask questions or the attitude of reflection,” he advised, as reported by Dong-A Ilbo. The AI revolution, he noted, is rapidly reshaping society, prompting a need to consider what tasks and roles remain uniquely human. “It is a time when we must ask what only humans can do that artificial intelligence cannot,” President Yoon observed, capturing the essence of a world in flux.
To underscore his point, Yoon invoked the words of Yonsei alumnus and writer Jang Kang-myung, emphasizing the importance of imagination and courage. “The ability to imagine well, to believe we can change the future, and to actually change it—these are crucial,” he said. He encouraged the graduates to nurture the courage to think differently and to develop the habit of listening to others, suggesting that such qualities would be the true engines of progress in the years ahead. “The courage to ask questions, to think differently, and to listen to others’ thoughts is ultimately the force that opens the future,” he declared, according to Dong-A Ilbo.
President Yoon’s speech also contained a gentle reminder about the values that ought to guide the graduates as they step into the world. He urged them to prioritize direction over mere achievement and responsibility over speed. “Be Yonsei people who think of direction before the size of success, and responsibility before speed,” he encouraged, adding a final note of warmth: “As you imagine good things, make your space and its surroundings special and warm places of life.”
The ceremony was not just about looking forward, but also about honoring the past and the institution’s legacy. Alumni Association President Lee Kyung-ryul, in his congratulatory address, reflected on the university’s storied history of meaningful challenges. “You have come to this place after passing through an era where change is the norm,” Lee said, expressing pride in the graduates’ ability to forge their own paths amid uncertainty, competition, and the collision of technology and values. He reminded the audience that Yonsei’s founding in 1885 was itself an act of boldness—an institution born on a path few dared to tread, always choosing meaningful challenges over safe bets.
Lee’s words carried both a sense of tradition and a call to action. “The saying ‘The truth will set you free,’ which is Yonsei’s founding spirit, is a request not to stop asking questions even in the face of fear, and to choose what is right over what is convenient,” he explained. In his view, the next chapter of Yonsei’s legacy would be written by the very graduates gathered before him. “Today, your life as a Yonsei person, not just a student, begins,” he declared, promising that the Alumni Association would stand with them under the banner “Promise Yonsei / Yonsei people, take on the challenge!”
The structure of the ceremony itself mirrored the university’s blend of tradition and modernity. Proceedings included the national anthem, a hymn, prayer and Bible reading, a report on degrees conferred, the main addresses, the formal conferral of degrees, celebratory music, the singing of the school song, and a benediction. Each segment was a reminder of the institution’s roots and the values it seeks to instill in its graduates.
As the formalities concluded, the campus was soon filled with the joyful sounds of celebration. Graduates, clad in their academic regalia, posed for photos with family and friends against the backdrop of Yonsei’s iconic buildings and early spring scenery. The moment was one of both reflection and release—a chance to savor the accomplishment and look ahead to the next adventure.
While the ceremony marked the end of one journey, it was also, unmistakably, a beginning. The graduates of Yonsei’s class of February 2026 step into a world that is fast-changing and often unpredictable, yet they do so armed with the encouragement of their mentors and the support of a global alumni network. If the speeches and atmosphere of the day are any indication, this new generation is being called not simply to adapt to change, but to shape it—to question, to imagine, and to act with purpose and responsibility.
For Yonsei University, and for the thousands who celebrated on that February morning, the ceremony was more than a ritual. It was a reaffirmation of the university’s mission to produce not just skilled professionals, but thoughtful, courageous individuals ready to make their mark in a world that needs both wisdom and heart.