"Wisdom, Mercy, Devotion"

The foundational spirit of Dongguk University is summed up in three educational goals: to build up one's character based on the Buddhist virtues; to make the nation, mankind, and nature full of wisdom and benevolence; and to realize the ideal society in which people can trust and respect each other.

Following the foundational spirit, the University aims at making the Buddhist spirit and the Korean culture known worldwide, and further at cultivating persons of talent with leadership skills, who will devote themselves to realizing ideals of the nation and mankind by researching and teaching academic theories and their application methods.