Donating the Entire 6 Million Won Prize Made Our Hearts Richer

Dongseo University's SinkSight Team Wins Second Place Nationwide at the 11th Busan Startup Idea Competition
Unveils World's First Sinkhole Prediction Technology
Donates Entire Prize to Orphanage, Spreading Joy

A university student club donated the entire 6 million won prize money they won at a startup competition.

Dongseo University (President Jang Jeguk) announced on October 1 that the Rise Business Group's startup club team "SinkSight" had won the President's Award from Pusan National University, placing second nationwide at the 11th Busan Startup Idea Competition, organized by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Technopark. The team donated the entire 6 million won prize to the "Ebada Orphanage" in Sasang-gu, spreading joy in the process.

This competition aimed to discover innovative startup ideas and promote a culture of youth entrepreneurship, attracting over 300 teams from across the country. Dongseo University's SinkSight team competed fiercely against universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, such as Seoul National University and Yonsei University, ultimately securing second place in the final round.

The SinkSight team, led by Kim Junseo and four other members, presented an item called a "GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) Data-Based Sinkhole Damage Prediction Virtual Reality Simulator." To address the recent local community safety issue of sinkhole occurrences, they combined construction engineering, digital twin convergence technology, and an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to develop a predictive technology solution. This technology, recognized as the world's first of its kind and with four related patents filed, received high praise.

Kim Junseo, a third-year student in the Department of Architectural Engineering and team leader, said, "We developed our idea while considering practical solutions to respond to unpredictable urban disasters," adding, "We will use this achievement as a stepping stone to further develop our startup item to help solve social issues."

The team decided to donate the entire 6 million won prize. The students wanted to use the prize money meaningfully. They visited the nearby Ebada Orphanage in Sasang-gu, where they shared snacks, school supplies, and daily necessities for children with disabilities.

Team member Lee Ayoung, a master's student, said, "Although we received a large prize, we thought it would be most meaningful to use it for a good cause," adding, "After donating all the prize money, our hearts felt even fuller."

Hwang Kihyun, head of the Rise Business Group at Dongseo University, commented, "A student startup club standing out in a nationwide competition is a model case demonstrating the results of our entrepreneurship education," and added, "We will actively support students so they can take on various challenges that connect practical startup experience with solving local issues."