Jeonbuk National University was founded in 1947 under the name of Chonbuk National University, following the liberation of the Republic of Korea, by the Provincial fund within the framework of the Korean national university system; it is one of 10 Flagship Korean National Universities.

JBNU has grown to 16 colleges and 14 graduate schools (one general, nine specialized and four professional graduate schools).

JBNU's Jeonju campus provides approximately 32,000 enrolled students, and 2,000 faculty and staff members with educational, research and support facilities. JBNU maintains cooperative programs with international educational institutions, and more than 500 international students are enrolled in its degree programs, in addition to around 100 international researchers.