It is located in the city of Asan, South Chungcheong province, about 52 miles (88 km) southwest of Seoul. It was founded by Dr. Succ-Jo Suh in 1978 as a medical college with 80 students, but expanded to become a comprehensive university in 1980, offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2009, the university was ranked 31st among all South Korean universities in a comprehensive evaluation by the JoongAng Ilbo.[citation needed] It was also ranked 151st among Asia-Pacific universities by Chosun-QS Asia in 2010.[1]