Soongsil University began as the Soongsil Academy, founded by U. S. Presbyterian missionary W. M. Baird on October 10, 1897. Soongsil Academy was opened as a secondary school to foster teachers and ministers who could preach Christ's gospel to the nation. Soongsil began offering middle school education in 1900, and in September 1906 launched a four-year college, Korea's first ever college of education. At the time, the missionary departments of both the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church participated in the management of the school, which was variously named as Union "Christian College," "Pyeongyang Christian College" or "Pyeongyang Soongsil College." Pyeongyang Soongsil College was intended both as a Christian college and as a modern national college with the aim of upholding the Christian and Korean national spirit through the work of Christian missionaries.

Soongsil introduced modern academic systems, thereby initiating college education in Korea. Initial subjects offered by Soongsil College included Bible study, mathematics, physical science, natural science, history, the humanities, language, speech, music, and others. Founder W. M. Barid implemented educational polices by which all language teaching language would be conducted in Korean and all texts written in Korean. Thus, Korean textbooks were used at Soongsil College were re-edited translations of textbooks used in the United States. The books were mimeographed by the Anna Davis Industrial Shop that was run by the college. Later, the Union Christian College Press was established at the college, and began publishing textbooks, Christian texts, and various academic works.