"Let's Win a Nobel Prize": The Man Who Donated 100 Billion Won to Seoul National University

[The Financial News] Hong Beom-jun, CEO of Joheunchaek Sinsago Publishing, has donated 100 billion won to his alma mater, Seoul National University.
On the 13th, Seoul National University announced that it had received a donation of 100 billion won from Hong for the "Mujoo–SSEN Research Fund for Bold Scientific Imagination and Mathematical Reasoning."
On the same day, Seoul National University held an agreement ceremony to commemorate this donation for the "Mujoo–SSEN Research Fund for Bold Scientific Imagination and Mathematical Reasoning."
The ceremony was attended by President Ryu Hong Lim and CEO Hong Beom-jun, as well as Executive Vice President for Education Lee Jun-jung, Vice President for Research Kim Ju-han, Vice President for Planning Kim Jun Ki, Vice Chair of the Seoul National University Development Foundation Jeong Jong-ho, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Jaejun Yu, Executive Director of the Seoul National University Development Foundation Joonhwan Lee, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Seonhee Lim, and Director of the Research Institute of Mathematics Professor Jongil Park.
Hong stated, "Basic science is a crucial foundation that determines a nation's future competitiveness," adding, "I hope that Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates will emerge from this, and that it will serve as a springboard for Seoul National University to grow into a truly world-class university."
Seoul National University plans to use this fund to support research grants and the establishment of research spaces aimed at producing Nobel Prize winners in natural science fields such as physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine, as well as recipients of the Fields Medal, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Through this, the university intends to elevate its research infrastructure and capabilities in the natural sciences to the highest level in the world.
President Ryu said, "This sponsorship will provide a solid foundation for Seoul National University to leap forward as a world-class research university," adding, "The university will spare no effort or support at the institutional level so that creative and challenging research in the natural sciences can continue, and so that, on this basis, we can play a key role in solving humanity's grand challenges."
Hong, who entered the Department of Mathematics at Seoul National University as a member of the Class of 1983, founded Joheunchaek Sinsago Publishing in 1990, an education-focused publishing company best known for its "Ssen Math" and "Woogongbi" series. Through the Seonhan Talent Scholarship and the SSEN Fellow and Conference Fund, he has previously donated 5.1 billion won to Seoul National University.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action for a Non-Precarious Seoul National University, a solidarity group of students and workers at Seoul National University, and the Joint Countermeasures Committee for Normalizing the Working Environment at Joheunchaek Sinsago held a press conference at Seoul National University on the same day under the banner "We condemn the double standard of union busting at Joheunchaek Sinsago and a 100-billion-won donation to Seoul National University."
In their press statement, they argued, "President Hong has led sustained and systematic workplace bullying and has suppressed the labor union through unfair labor practices and unfair dismissals," adding, "We cannot help but question whether this is not genuine 'social contribution' but rather a hypocritical double standard aimed at laundering Hong's image."

newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter