The late professor Kwon-hwan In’s love for Korea University continues
The late professor Kwon-hwan In’s family donates KRW 100 million to the department of Korean language and literature

The late Professor Emeritus Kwon-hwan In’s family donated a developmental fund of KRW 100 million to the Department of Korean Language and Literature at a donation ceremony that was held at the Inchon Chamber in the KU Main Hall at 3pm on March 14. The ceremony was attended by the late Professor In’s wife, Mrs. Woo-joo Lee, and their son Chi-beom In, a KU alumnus (Public Administration, enrolled in 1988; Managing Director at Ahn Lab). KU President Jaeho Yeom (KU President), Tae-hern Jung (Dean of the College of Liberal Arts), Byung-hyun Yoo (Vice President for Development and External Affairs and Vice President for Capital Planning), Kyong-jun Chang (Head of the Department of Korean Language and Literature), and Kee-hyung Kim (Professor in the Department of Korean Language and Literature) were also present.

The late Professor Kwon-hwan In, who passed away on January 5 at the age of 81, was a prominent figure in Korean folklore and a leading researcher in pansori epic chant. Born in 1937 in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, Professor In entered Korea University in 1956 and studied Korean literature under Professor Ji-hoon Jo. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in Korean literature and became a professor at KU in 1972. He also learned Buddhism from Monk Beom-sul Choi (pen name: Hyodang). With his love for sporting events and the KU athletic teams, he served as the president of the KU baseball club and a member of the KU Athletic Committee. He was the president of the Korean Folklore Society from 1996 to 2000, and contributed to the development of Korean folklore. From 2000 to 2002, he was a visiting scholar at Kyoto University in Japan and the University of Hawaii in the United States. He also served as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at KU. Upon his retirement from KU in 2003, he was awarded the Red Stripes Order of Service Merit for his outstanding achievements in research.

Professor Kwon-hwan In was a leading scholar in classical literature who accomplished many remarkable achievements in Korean traditional culture and literature, such as pansori, ancient novels, folklore, and Buddhist literature. His major works include: A Study of Yong-woon Han (1960), the first book of research on national poet Yong-woon Han who combined the mercy of Buddha and love for Korean people; History of Korean Folklore (1978), a book that introduced folklore, which had not fully been considered as an area of study, to the academic world; A Study of Buddhist Poetry in the Koryo Dynasty (1983), a book that included Buddhist literature, which previously had not been given much attention, in the history of Korean classical literature; and Research on Tokkijeon and Sugungga (2001), a perfect combination of scrupulous empirical research and a sharp social history analysis.

At the donation ceremony, Professor Kee-hyung Kim of the Department of Korean Language and Literature expressed his respect for the late Professor In, “Professor In was a highly renowned expert in Sugungga and Tokkijeon. He traced the origins of folk tales and empirically researched the relationship between folk tales and pansori. His ultimate academic interest was the origin and historical development of pansori. He accomplished great achievements by redefining pansori, which had been considered a simple art, as a comprehensive art incorporating literature, music, and theater, and by summarizing research findings.

KU President Jaeho Yeom recalled Professor In, “Professor Kwon-hwan In’s love towards Korea University was extremely deep. With this love, he published old stories and the history of Korea University serially in the KU Alumni Newsletter, and Kodaeyusa is a compilation of these. This book best depicts the KU spirit that all KU students, past and present, must take to heart, and thus I handed out this book to freshmen when I was inaugurated as KU President.” He continued, “It seems to be unique to KU that professors look after students even after they retire, often showing such devotion to the school for over 50 years. Family members’ understanding of their loved ones’ affection for their students, such as the recent donation by the family of the late Professor Jae-seok Choi, is also a unique tradition of KU.”

Mrs. Woo-joo Lee expressed her wish, “The late Professor In had great affection for his students and always said that he wanted to donate a scholarship fund to KU. I heard that many of his students are actively participating in the various fields of Korean classical literature as professors across the country. Although it is a small contribution, I hope that this will be used as a developmental fund in the Department of Korean Language and Literature in order to continue cultivating talented individuals.” The Department of Korean Language and Literature responded that it will use the donation for creating a customized scholarship in order to nurture experts who will follow in Professor In’s path.

The late Professor Kwon-hwan In, who wrote Kodaeyusa, the Samgukyusa of KU, held a strong love in his heart for KU, which continues even after his death.