Passed away on November 30 at the age of 84
November 3, Dongmyeong University, Main Building Room 107 at 8 AM
Dr. Kang Jeong-nam, the 6th president of Dongmyung University and chairman of the Dongmyung Cultural Foundation, passed away on the 30th of last month at the age of 84.
Dr. Kang Jeong-nam, the 6th president of Dongmyung University and former chairman of the Dongmyung Cultural Foundation. Provided by Dongmyung University
The funeral service will be held at 8 a.m. on the 3rd in Room 107 of the main building of Dongmyung University. The burial site is at Sinbulsan Park Cemetery in Yangsan City, Gyeongnam Province.
The deceased was born as the eldest son of Kang Seok-jin, the founder of Dongmyung Mokjae, and devoted his life to practicing entrepreneurial spirit and realizing education-based national development.
He graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in Business Administration and received an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Gulf Coast Christian College in the United States. Starting in 1974, he worked at Dongmyung Mokjae and contributed to the company’s achievement of exporting $135 million worth of plywood in 1977, the first such record in Korea.
In 1978, he became the CEO of Dongmyung Heavy Industries and sought to expand the Dongmyung Group’s business, but his efforts were thwarted by the military government. In fact, in 1980, the military regime labeled Chairman Kang Seok-jin as a corrupt businessman, forcibly dismantled Dongmyung Mokjae, and confiscated all assets. The only entity not seized was the Dongmyung Cultural Foundation.
In March 2011, he was inaugurated as the 6th president of Dongmyung University and laid the foundation for the university’s reputation as a prestigious institution for industry-academia cooperation. During his presidency, he promoted the “Student Happiness University,” which focused on students, and implemented initiatives such as industry-academia cooperation, international exchange, glocal industry-academia collaboration, and interdisciplinary convergence. The Student Happiness University was realized through improvements in the educational environment and increased scholarships. The number of family companies affiliated with the university grew from about 830 to over 1,000, and Dongmyung University became the first university in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam region to export education to the Philippines. To expand family companies overseas and promote international exchange, he also sent a “Vietnam Business Exploration and Overseas Business Delegation” composed of 40 students.
He served as a director of Dongmyung Bulwon, a temple founded by his father, and established the first Buddhist Culture Department at a general university, dedicating himself to nurturing talent for the development of Korean Buddhism, fulfilling his father’s legacy.
Jeon Ho-hwan, president of Dongmyung University and chairman of the funeral committee, said, “The university development strategies pursued by the deceased during his lifetime laid the foundation for Dongmyung University’s growth,” and added, “The faculty and staff of Dongmyung University will do their best to continue the educational patriotism of Chairman Kang Seok-jin, founder of the Dongmyung Cultural Foundation, and the student-centered educational philosophy of President Kang Jeong-nam for the advancement of the university.”
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