HYBE announced on July 3 that the 5 billion won donated by Chairman Bang Sihyuk will be used for the reconstruction of the Seoul National University (SNU) Culture Center.
On the same day at 6 p.m., SNU will hold a "Culture Center Demolition Ceremony and Groundbreaking Event" in front of the main auditorium of the Culture Center in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the dismantling of the existing Culture Center and to announce the creation of a new integrated cultural and arts space. The event will be attended by SNU professors, students, donors, and their families. Chairman Bang will not attend due to an overseas schedule.
The Culture Center construction fund was established to transform SNU's representative cultural space into a new integrated cultural venue. In January 2023, Chairman Bang donated 5 billion won to this fund.
At the time of the donation, Chairman Bang stated, "I have experienced firsthand that the support and help one receives from society greatly contribute to personal growth, which is why I wanted to give back, even in a small way, to my alma mater. I hope that a virtuous cycle of donations will continue, with juniors growing and giving back to society in turn. I wish for them to nurture dreams based on common sense, not goals and dreams set by others, and to pursue those dreams to contribute to society."
Chairman Bang's cumulative donations exceed 10 billion won. In June 2022, he donated 5 billion won to the Community Chest of Korea to support the education and independence of young women. This fund is expected to benefit approximately 1,400 individuals through youth-related organizations. In July of the same year, he donated 200 million won to SNU Business School's startup fund.
In 2023, he donated 200 million won to Save the Children, an international children's rights NGO, in February to aid victims of the T?rkiye-Syria earthquake, and in November, he contributed 50 million won to the Yoo Jaeha Music Scholarship Foundation to support emerging musicians.
HYBE stated, "Chairman Bang has continuously sought and practiced ways to contribute to the development of the community as both a business leader and a member of society. We hope the new Culture Center will become a cradle for nurturing talent, supporting Korea’s rise as a cultural powerhouse."
Completed in 1984, the SNU Culture Center has served as a venue for performances, exhibitions, lectures, and commemorations for members of the SNU community. The new Culture Center will feature a vineyard-style concert hall with about 1,000 seats, a black box theater with about 300 seats, a gallery, and community spaces. Completion is scheduled for the second half of 2028.
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