15 Years of Partnership with SKT... Golfer Choi Kyung-ju Sponsors Scholarships for 300 Students

The 15-year partnership between professional golfer Choi Kyung-ju, who recently won the SK Telecom Open, and his sponsor SKT is drawing attention.

On the 15th, player Choi Kyung-ju (right), who participated in the 'SK Telecom Charity Open,' is taking a tee shot.
[Photo by SKT]

SKT and Choi Kyung-ju have gone beyond simple sponsorship to collaborate on scholarship programs and various Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities.

Since 2014, SKT has been working with the Choi Kyung-ju Foundation on the 'Scholarship Dream Tree' nurturing project. This scholarship program supports 15 to 20 students annually from low-income families nationwide, including university and graduate students. From the program’s inception in 2014 through last year, a total of 301 scholarship recipients have been supported. Kim Sung-wook, a graduate of the 5th Scholarship Dream Tree cohort, recently gained attention after being appointed assistant conductor for Mozart's The Magic Flute opera at the Goethe Theater in Germany.

Since 2018, SKT has officially sponsored the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) New Jersey tournament hosted annually by the Choi Kyung-ju Foundation. Many promising players who excel at the AJGA New Jersey tournament have been scouted by prestigious U.S. university golf teams, dreaming of bigger stages.

The 'Talent Sharing Happiness Round,' held annually before the main SK Telecom Open tournament, was also initiated by Choi Kyung-ju.

This program provides an opportunity for professional golfers to pass on golf skills, personal experiences, and know-how to junior players. Choi Kyung-ju volunteered as a mentor for junior players for three years starting from the program’s inception in 2017.

Notably, this year, Jeong Chan-min, who participated as a junior player in this program in 2018, returned as a professional golfer after six years and joined as a mentor, attracting attention.

Choi Kyung-ju has also participated for three consecutive years in the 'SK Telecom Charity Open,' now in its third year, and is involved in the 'SK Telecom Adaptive Open,' a golf tournament for people with developmental disabilities funded by donations from the event.