BANG SI HYUK
HYBE Chairman BANG SI HYUK has donated 5 billion won to his alma mater, Seoul National University. This contribution will be used for the reconstruction of a new cultural building.
On July 3 at 6 PM KST, Seoul National University will hold a demolition ceremony for the existing cultural building and a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of a new multifunctional cultural and artistic space, in front of the main auditorium of the cultural building located in the Gwanak district of Seoul. Professors, students, donors, and their families will attend the event. BANG SI HYUK, who is on a business trip overseas, will be unable to attend.
The fund for constructing this new cultural building was established to transform this iconic space into a multifunctional cultural venue. BANG SI HYUK donated 5 billion won to this fund in January 2023.
At the time of his donation, he stated:
“I have experienced that the support and help received from society serve as great nourishment for a person’s growth, which is why I wanted to give back to my alma mater in some way. I hope the younger generations will continue this virtuous cycle of growth, contribution, and giving back to society, and that they will nurture dreams based not on others’ goals but on common sense, so they can contribute to society.”
In addition to this cultural building fund, BANG SI HYUK has engaged in various philanthropic activities. Since 2020, the total amount of his donations has exceeded 10 billion won (approximately 6.2 million euros). In June 2022, he donated 5 billion won to the community welfare foundation “Love’s Fruit” to support young girls in continuing their education and becoming independent. This donation was distributed through organizations such as Jump, the Korea Youth Counseling & Welfare Institute, BtoB, and the Center for Counseling for Strict Parents, helping about 800 young girls, with plans to extend support to 600 more for a total of 1,400 beneficiaries.
In July 2022, he also donated 200 million won to the “SNU BIZ Startup Fund” at Seoul National University’s Business School to support young alumni entrepreneurs. This fund was created from the prize money of the “Pony Chung Innovation Award” BANG SI HYUK received in 2020 for his contributions to innovation in the global music industry.
Furthermore, after donating 5 billion won for the cultural building in January 2023, BANG SI HYUK donated 200 million won in February to the international NGO Save the Children for emergency relief following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and then 50 million won in November to the Yoo Jae-ha Music Foundation to discover and support emerging musicians.
HYBE stated:
“As a businessman and member of society, Bang Si Hyuk has always reflected on and acted to contribute to community development. We hope this new cultural building will become a cradle for nurturing the talent needed to make Korea a cultural powerhouse.”
For context, Seoul National University’s cultural building, constructed in 1984, is an artistic, debate, and commemorative venue for the university community where performances, exhibitions, and lectures are held. The new building will feature a vineyard-style concert hall (about 1,000 seats), a black box theater with black-painted walls (about 300 seats), as well as a gallery and community spaces. It will be a key part of the university’s “SNU COMMONS” strategy. Completion is scheduled for the second half of 2028.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Website Hybe
