During the Japanese colonial period, Jung Woon-oh was a student at Bosung College, dreaming of a future in which Korea would regain its sovereignty. After liberation, he became a highly successful businessman, yet he lived a simple life and dedicated himself to helping others. Eighty years later, he sent a valuable gift to his alma mater, which had grown into a world-class university, to help its students prepare for an even brighter future. To honor their father's wish to always support Korea University students, his family donated 10.2 billion KRW to the university to build Jung Woon-oh IT Memorial Hall.

A Student's Vision at Bosung College

He entered Bosung in the period after Kim Seong-su had taken over the school in 1932 and made massive investments in facilities on par with private universities in Japan. Thanks to this, Jung Woon-oh was able to study in the Main Library, which was completed around the time he started his studies. Built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bosung College's founding, the library was constructed with donations from the entire nation, which Kim Seong-su collected himself by traveling across the country. Though still suffering under Japanese rule, the Korean people had a strong desire to regain their nationhood through education. Fueled by this resolve, Bosung College prepared to be a beacon of hope for the nation, with top-tier scholars educating students in the best facilities.

The Main Library and Main Stadium, Built by the Korean People

In July 1938, while he was a student, the Main Stadium was completed, becoming the largest university stadium in Asia. The Korean people were unstinting in their support for and encouragement of the youth who embodied the hope for recovery of national sovereignty. In a testament to this support, in September of the same year, the Bosung College basketball team won its second consecutive victory at the Japanese National Basketball Championship. The team consisted of Professors Kim Kwang-jin and Kim Young-joo from the commerce department and their students. Even as Japanese exploitation grew more severe, Bosung College students were a source of comfort and hope for the nation.

In 1940, the Japanese Government-General of Korea ordered Korean names to be changed to Japanese-style names and the conscription of students, but Bosung College students refused. Japan forcibly changed the school's name to Gyeongseong-cheoksik-gyeongje-jeonmun-hakgyo (Keijo Colonial Economics College), but after liberation, the school's name was restored to Bosung College.

Jung Woon-oh, who attended Bosung College—a school founded with the spirit of 'education as a means of national salvation' during the dark history of the Japanese colonial period—became a successful businessman after founding Hangang Hotel following his graduation and Korea’s liberation. He lived a simple life, however, and always sought to support young people and help students at his alma mater.

He must have remembered throughout his life the power of the nationwide fundraising campaign he saw as a student at Bosung, and the power of the donations from the entire nation that built the best library and main stadium for the students.

A 120th Anniversary Gift: A Future for 'People's KU'

Eighty-four years after his graduation from Bosung College, Jung Woon-oh IT Liberal Arts Hall was built on the Seoul campus where he studied. His four daughters, Jae-eun, Yoon-ja, In-seon, and Hye-seon, made a large donation to honor their father's wishes.

The building is comprised of two below-ground stories and ten above, with a total floor area of 24,606 m². It is equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including physics, biology, and chemistry laboratories. Science experiments and practical sessions, which used to be scattered across the campus, are now carried out in one building.

Research and education in advanced fields such as semiconductors and information security are conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Semiconductor Engineering, the research labs and classrooms of the Graduate School of Information Security, and the research labs of the Korea University Research and Business Foundation and the School of Smart Mobility, which are all located in the building. Just as Jung studied in a new library in his time, students today can now study surrounded by new, state-of-the-art infrastructure.

Jung Woon-oh IT Liberal Arts Hall represents the latest educational infrastructure for fostering convergent talent in the natural sciences.

In the year marking the 120th anniversary of the first school established by the Korean people, with the spirit of 'education for national salvation,' the gift from Bosung College student Jung Woon-oh to today's 'People's KU' once again enables the nation’s youth to prepare for the future of Korea and the world. Korea University will continue to sustain his vision and cultivate the “Next Intelligence” that will build the future.