Korea University’s 119th Anniversary Ceremony and Korea University Day Event Held:
Presenting KU’s “Contribution to Humanity” mission to mark its upcoming 120th anniversary in 2025
Proud KU People Award bestowed on
Song Moo-hyun, Chairman of Song-hyun Group, Kwon Oh-sub, Chairman of L&P Cosmetics, and Kang Suk-hee, U.S. GSA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Rim and Northwest/Arctic Regions

▲ (From left) Kim Dong-one, President of Korea University; Kwon Oh-sub, Chairman of L&P Cosmetics; Kang Suk-hee, U.S. GSA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Rim, 

and Northwest/Arctic Regions; Song Moo-hyun, Chairman of Song-hyun Group; Seung Myung-ho, President of the Korea University Alumni Association

On Sunday, May 5, at 10:30 AM, Korea University and the Korea University Alumni Association held the 119th Anniversary Ceremony and Korea University Day event at Inchon Memorial Hall.

At the anniversary ceremony awards were presented, including the Proud KU People Award, the Social Service Award, the Crimson Award (Development Achievement Award), the KU Family Award, the Seoktop Achievement Award, and the Long-term Service Award.

In his welcome address at the anniversary ceremony, Chairman Kim Jae-ho of the Korea University Foundation said, “For over a century, Korea University’s mission has been to nurture talent in order to create a better future for Korea and its people. However, we are not satisfied with this alone; we are preparing for another leap forward. Let us all work together to accomplish paradigm-changing educational innovation.”

In his speech commemorating the anniversary, Korea University President Kim Dong-one said, “With the 120th anniversary of its founding approaching next year, Korea University will take a leap forward to become a world-renowned institution that contributes to future society. Korea University will take on ‘Contribution to Humanity’ as its new mission to tackle challenges such as the climate crisis, the spread of infectious diseases, socioeconomic polarization, and the aging society.”

In addition, Seung Myung-ho, President of the Korea University Alumni Association, said, “Not being complacent with its past successes, Korea University strives to take a new leap forward as a globally prestigious university. With 360,000 alumni, we will lead the development of Korea University by striving to build networks that will further solidify its position as a university that is respected worldwide.”

▲ Scene from the anniversary ceremony 

Various awards were presented at the anniversary ceremony. The Proud KU People Award, which is bestowed on alumni who have contributed to national and social development as well as the prestige of Korea University, was given to Song Moo-hyun, Chairman of Song-hyun Group (’69, Department of Metal Engineering), Kang Suk-hee, US GSA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Rim and Northwest/Arctic Regions (’71, Department of Agricultural Economics), and Kwon Oh-sub, Chairman of L&P Cosmetics (’78, Department of Geology).

Mr. Song embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by founding TMC, a marine cable manufacturing company, and subsequently established Song-hyun Holdings, KPF , Glowone, and SBB TECH. Under his leadership, these companies grew and matured into manufacturing enterprises with world-class technological and production capabilities. Furthermore, he demonstrated his unwavering love for Korea University by donating funds for the construction of the New Engineering Hall and the remodeling of the Student Union Building.

After emigrating to the United States, Mr. Kang experienced the L.A. riots in 1992 and actively worked towards enhancing the political influence of the Korean community in the U.S., serving as the chairperson of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation and Korean Americans for Political Action. In 2004, he was elected as the first Asian-American City Council member in Irvine, California. In 2008, he became the first first-generation Korean American to serve as Mayor of Irvine, California, and in January 2023, he was appointed Regional Administrator for U.S. GSA’s Pacific Rim and Northwest/Arctic Region. In addition, Mr. Kang received the Great Immigrants Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, in this way contributing significantly to improving the international reputation of the Korean-American community and Korea University.

Mr. Kwon dedicated over 30 years to the cosmetics industry, successfully expanding the flagship brand “Mediheal” to 26 countries worldwide and leading L&P Cosmetics to become a unicorn company valued at over KRW 1 trillion. Furthermore, he actively engages in social contribution activities to promote the spirit of sharing and service. Demonstrating his passion for his alma mater, Mr. Kwon has donated over KRW 25 billion to the development of Korea University and the Korea University Alumni Association, including the construction of the Mediheal Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) Hall.

The Social Service Award, which is bestowed on alumni who have widely promoted the spirit of sharing, was given to Kwon Soon-young, President and CEO of Nutrition and Education International (’65, Department of Agricultural Chemistry). Mr. Kwon founded NGO Nutrition and Education International in L.A. in 2004 and for over 20 years made significant contributions to alleviating malnutrition and hunger among people in developing countries through projects promoting soybean cultivation and processing. In addition, he has been involved in various regional social contribution activities, including the introduction of the self-reliant malnutrition eradication program which was developed for Afghanistan and was then employed in other countries, the provision of support for poultry farming, the implementation of women’s economic empowerment programs, and the provision of free meal programs for refugee camps and orphanages.

This year, the Crimson Award (Development Achievement Award), an award established to honor individuals who have continuously contributed to the development of Korea University, was given to Jeong Jinhyeok, CEO of Centroid Investment Partners (’04, Department of Business Administration), and Lee Myung-Geun, Chairman of Sung-woo Hitech (’64, Department of Law). In addition, the KU Family Award was awarded to families who have three generations of Korea University graduates, including those of Yoo Dal-ro, Song Gi-cheol, Sagong In-suk, and Song In-tae, and families who have five or more generations of Korea University graduates, including those of Han Young-gwan and Geum Geun-taek.

The Long-term Service Award was given to Professors Cho Dong-hyun of the Department of Physics (30 years), Baik Ja-hyun of the Department of Molecular Life Sciences (20 years), and Nam Ho-sung of the Department of English Language and Literature (10 years). Among staff members, Joo Tae-hun, General Manager of the Research Information Curation Services Department of the Main Library (30 years), Choo Young-min, General Manager of the Education Business Team of the Institute for Continuing Education (20 years), and Moon Seok-hwan, Assistant Manager of the External Affairs Team of the Office of Development and External Affairs (10 years) received the Award. The Seoktop Achievement Award, which is bestowed on the staff members who have contributed to the development of Korea University, was awarded to Choi Ho-jin of the Safety Team of the Office of Physical Resources and Yang Je-yoon of the Administrative Team of the Institute for General Education.