Chair of the CKD Kochon Foundation Grants KRW 100 Million to KU School of Law
The 91-year-old KU alumnus politely declines an offer to hold a donation ceremony.
▲ KU President Jaeho Yeom (left) and Kochon Foundation Chairman Doo-hyeon Kim (right) having a conversation over tea instead of attending a donation ceremony.
“I hope that my donation can help students who are studying law. Instead of an extravagant ceremony to celebrate my donation, having a cup of hot tea at my alma mater will be just fine.”
On January 10, Chairman of the Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation Doo-hyeon Kim and KU President Jaeho Yeom had a cup of tea in the Inchon Chamber in Korea University’s Main Hall.
Chairman Kim, aged 91, donated KRW 100 million as a fund to support the development of the Korea University School of Law. In accordance with the contributor’s wish, no ceremony was held to celebrate his donation. Kim has made several donations, worth approximately KRW 23 million, to his alma mater over the years.
Kim, who entered the then KU College of Political Science and Law (currently, the Department of Law at College of Law) in 1946, declared the opening of the KU Appreciation Night last November as the oldest among the alumni attending the event. At the time, he was on stage with a freshman who had entered the university in 2016. The audience was surprised by the gap between their class years – 70 years.
Reminiscing about the 111th anniversary event, he explained how he came to the decision to make a donation at this time. “I was honored to have an opportunity to be on stage with one of our future leaders and declare the opening of the event. After Mr. Yeom laid out his vision, I was so moved that I decided to support my alma mater to be one of the top 50 universities in the world.” He also said that he was proud of the KU School of Law, which, according to the assessments of law schools, has successfully maintained its top position among private schools in the nation for three consecutive years. He continued by saying that, “I think, among living alumnus, I am the second oldest.” He did not forget to express his anticipation of positive effects from cooperation between seniors and juniors in terms of the preservation of university traditions and the development of the university. Along with providing financial support, he has never stopped participating in volunteer work. “As long as my health permits, I would like to do volunteer work. In my opinion, volunteer work is a good thing to recommend to anyone who is available.” Despite his age, he almost never misses going to his office each day.
In response, President Yeom expressed his sincere gratitude and respect for the alumnus. “He is one of the most respected seniors in the legal circles of Korea. Before his current position at the CKD Kochon Foundation, he worked as Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court and of the Daegu High Court and President of the Korean Bar Association. The chairman, who has provided unsparing support to talented persons for over 26 years, is a living witness of the development of the KU College of Law. I have my great pride in calling him a KU graduate,” said Yeom. The president pledged to specifically use Kim’s donation for the advancement of the law school and the training of future jurists.
In 1948, Kim passed the National Bar Examination when he was only a sophomore in college. He was commissioned as a judge advocate during the Korean War and was later discharged as a lieutenant colonel. After finishing his military service, he worked as a judge of the Seoul District Court and Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court and the Daegu High Court. He once entered politics and was elected as a member of the 7th National Assembly from Dangjin. After losing his seat in the next election, he realized that he was never meant to be a politician. He returned to his field of expertise and, in 1971, opened a law office in Seoul. He served as the President of the Seoul Bar Association, the President of the Korean Bar Association, the Director of the Korean Legal Center, the Commissioner of the National Election Commission, and the Chairman of the Press Arbitration Commission. In addition, he taught at Harvard University as a guest professor.
The Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation is a scholarship foundation established in 1973 by late Kochon Chong-kun Lee who pledged to return corporate profits to society. Kim has been working as a leader of the foundation since 1990. Over the past 43 years, the foundation has granted scholarships worth more than KRW 30 billion. Along with financial support, it has also provided free housing to the needy, supported academic promotion, administered overseas fellowship programs, and provided educational welfare services. The number of its scholarship holders has reached 6,500, reaffirming the CKD Kochon Foundation as the largest scholarship program among pharmaceutical companies in Korea. In recognition of its contributions, the foundation received the Education Minister’s Award at the 5th Korean Donation for Education Award held in 2016.
▲ KU President Jaeho Yeom (right) presenting a plaque of appreciation to CKD Kochon Foundation Chairman Doo-hyeon Kim (left).