HYBE's Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, an alumnus of Seoul National University, has made a generous donation of 5 billion won to his alma mater, earmarked for the construction of a new cultural and arts complex.
Seoul National University announced that it will kick off the reconstruction with a "Cultural Complex Demolition Ceremony and Groundbreaking" event at 6 PM today, in front of the Seoul National University Cultural Center in Gwanak-gu, Seoul.
The event will see the participation of Seoul National University professors, students, donors, and their families. Chairman Bang, due to overseas business commitments, will not be able to attend.
The original Cultural Center, completed in 1984, has served as a venue for performances, exhibitions, lectures, and more, fostering art and discussion among the university community. The new complex will feature a vineyard-style concert hall with approximately 1,000 seats, a black box theater with about 300 seats, galleries, and community spaces, transforming into a state-of-the-art cultural facility. The project is slated for completion in the second half of 2028.
Last January, Chairman Bang contributed 5 billion won for the construction of the Cultural Center, stating, "I have experienced firsthand how support and help from society can nourish an individual's growth. I wanted to give back to my alma mater, even if just a little, to ensure the cycle of giving continues and to hope that future generations can dream based on common sense and contribute to society."
Including this donation, Chairman Bang has donated over 10 billion won since 2020.
In June 2022, he donated 5 billion won to the Community Chest of Korea (Love's Fruit) to support the continued education and independence of young women. In July of the same year, he contributed 200 million won to the 'SNU BIZ Startup Fund' at Seoul National University's School of Business. This fund was established with the prize money from the 'Pony Chung Innovation Award' which Chairman Bang received from the Pony Chung Foundation in 2020.
Additionally, in February 2023, he donated 200 million won to the international NGO Save the Children for emergency relief funds for earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria. In November of the same year, he contributed 50 million won to the Yu Jae-ha Music Scholarship Foundation to support the discovery of new musicians.
HYBE stated, "Chairman Bang Si-hyuk has always pondered and acted upon ways to contribute to the development of the community as both a businessman and a member of society. We hope this Cultural Center becomes a cradle for nurturing talents that will leap forward into a cultural powerhouse."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)