Seungsan Nanum Foundation Chairperson Young-ja Kim Donates KRW 3 Billion to Ewha West Campus Construction Fund
- Date2025.12.03
- 137
Ewha Womans University received a donation of KRW 3 billion from Seungsan Nanum Foundation Chairperson Young-ja Kim (English Literature, graduating class of 1961) toward the Ewha West Campus Construction Fund. The Ewha West Campus Construction Project is a blueprint to transform the area adjacent to the western gate into state-of-the-art facilities, including reconstructions of the Human Ecology Building and the Alumnae Building, with a focus on global convergence research, industry-academic cooperation, and entrepreneurship.
Chairperson Kim is a leading figure dedicated to the advancement of education through social contribution, who has served as President of the Korean Association of University Women; Chairperson of the Ewha Girls’ High School Scholarship Foundation; Vice President of the Korean Red Cross; and President of the Korea Women’s Tennis Federation. Her philanthropic contributions have continued throughout society, and last year, in recognition of her role in promoting a culture of giving in Korea, she was honored by the government with the Mongnyeon Medal of the Order of Civil Merit.
Currently Chairperson Kim also serves as Chair of the Ewha 140th Anniversary Commemorative Fundraising Committee for University Advancement, launched in preparation for the university’s 140th anniversary in 2026, for which she has been involved in the establishment of donor networks and other initiatives to support Ewha’s development. Chairperson Kim’s leadership and spirit of sharing will help the university realize its vision of “Ewha Leading the Era of Great Transformation through Inclusive Innovation,” and further strengthen its financial foundation for sustainable development.
To commemorate Chairperson Kim’s generous donation in support of Ewha’s vision for a new era, the university held a special ceremony on November 24 at Aryeong-dang. Attendees included Chairperson Kim; In-Young Huh, her daughter and CEO of Seungsan Co., Ltd.; Jae-Hyuck Cho, her son-in-law and renowned pianist; Myong-sue Chang, former Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Ewha Womans University; Ewha President Hyang-Sook Lee; Jhungsoo Park, Executive Vice President for Research and External Affairs; Yun Jung Choi, Vice President for University Relations and Development; and Eunyoung Park, Associate Vice President for University Relations and Development. The ceremony was followed by a luncheon and a tour of the Ewha Archives, in appreciation of Chairperson Kim’s donation and service to Ewha.
In a speech at the ceremony, President Hyang-Sook Lee offered, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Chairperson Kim, a distinguished alumna, for her generous donation, which will lay the foundation for Ewha’s advancement as we approach our 140th anniversary. I hope that her exemplary leadership as Chair of the Fundraising Committee will encourage the spirit of giving among members of the Ewha community.” President Lee also stated her commitment to successfully completing the Ewha West Campus and other development plans for “New Era, New Ewha.”
Chairperson Kim explained her motivation for the donation came from the teaching she received during her years at Ewha, where she was “taught, under the leadership of Presidents Helen Kim and Kim Okgill, to be grateful for the existence of our homeland and to be obliged to serve our society. Through my education at Ewha, I naturally came to nurture a sense of responsibility to give back to society.” She also noted the support of her children gave to her decision to donation to Ewha, adding, “It was possible because my children grew up watching my father-in-law and my husband, after they had established their business, consistently practice their spirit of giving.”
Kim’s daughter In-Young Huh, CEO of Seungsan Co., Ltd., recalled, “My grandfather always emphasized that there should never be anyone going hungry in his neighborhood, and those words became the founding philosophy of Seungsan Nanum Foundation. I am happy and proud that my mother’s commitment to carrying on that legacy has led to this donation to Ewha Womans University.”
Chairperson Kim’s father-in-law, the late Man-jung Huh, was an independence activist under Japanese colonial rule, who went on to found the GS Group. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Jinju Girls’ High School and devoted himself to regional development and education. Man-jung Huh’s son, Wan-goo Huh, Chairperson Kim’s late husband and former Chairman of Seungsan Co., Ltd., was also a renowned philanthropist during his lifetime who donated KRW 12 billion toward the reconstruction of the campus at Jinju Girls’ High School, for which he was awarded the Dongbaek Medal of the Order of Civil Merit. The Seungsan Nanum Foundation was established in 2013 by Chairperson Kim to honor and carry on her late husband’s philanthropic spirit.