A Six-Story Building Completed with 11 Billion KRW in Donations
'Krafton SoC' for Future Software Talent
A Soundproof 'Band Practice Room' Also Provided
KAIST announced on May 20 that it has completed the 'Krafton SoC (School of Computing)' building, an expansion of the Department of Computer Science, funded by a donation of over 10 billion KRW from Krafton, the developer of 'Battlegrounds'.
On the 20th, at the completion ceremony of the 'Krafton SoC (School of Computing)' building held at KAIST, Jang Byungkyu, chairman of the board of Krafton, delivered a congratulatory speech. KAIST
The donation used to construct the Krafton SoC was raised by the students of Lee Kwanghyung, the KAIST president who is often referred to as the 'eccentric professor'. Eleven current and former members of Krafton, including Jang Byungkyu, Chairman of the Krafton Board of Directors, raised a personal donation of 5.5 billion KRW to foster future software talent. Subsequently, Krafton matched this amount, resulting in a total donation of 11 billion KRW in June 2021. Krafton operates a 'matching grant' system, where the company matches voluntary employee donations with company funds. Krafton also plans to make additional donations over the next ten years to cover the building's maintenance and repair costs.
Reflecting the president's emphasis on autonomy and creativity, the Krafton SoC includes a soundproof band practice room (basement level 1). To support members exhausted from study and research, a cafe (first floor), fitness center (second floor), and Pilates studio (fifth floor) have also been provided. The first floor has been designed as a meeting place for alumni, current students, and faculty, as well as a space to remember pioneering alumni. The four classrooms on this floor are 'Immersive Camp Classrooms', which will be used for courses focused on enhancing coding and collaboration skills. From the second floor, research labs and large lecture halls have been designed for 20 professors and graduate students to conduct research freely.
At the completion ceremony held in front of the Krafton SoC at the KAIST main campus that afternoon, about 100 people attended, including donors such as Chairman Jang, President Lee, and Ryu Seokyoung, Head of the Department of Computer Science at KAIST. Chairman Jang stated, "I hope this space, which began from a desire to give back learning and opportunities to the next generation, will become an environment that contributes to the attitudes toward life that talents preparing for and leading the AI era should possess."
President Lee said, "Krafton SoC is not just a physical space, but the crystallization of the KAIST community spirit created by alumni, current students, and faculty together," and added, "I am grateful for this meaningful donation that has demonstrated the power of sharing and connection." Known as the 'eccentric' educator who helped create KAIST's venture startup DNA, President Lee once drew attention for giving exam questions such as 'Hack my computer' to students like Lee Haejin, Chairman of Naver, Kim Jungju, Chairman of Nexon, and Chairman Jang.
At the completion ceremony of the 'Krafton SoC (School of Computing)' building held at KAIST on the 20th, related officials including Jang Byungkyu, Chairman of the Krafton Board of Directors (sixth from the right), Lee Kwanghyung, President of KAIST (ninth from the right), and Ryu Seokyoung, Head of the Department of Computer Science at KAIST (eighth from the right), are taking a commemorative photo. KAIST
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