Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE, has donated 5 billion KRW (approximately $3.7 million) to his alma mater, Seoul National University (SNU), for the reconstruction of its Cultural Center.
On November 3, at 6 PM, SNU will hold a ceremony in front of the auditorium of the existing Cultural Center in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, to commemorate its dismantling and mark the beginning of a new cultural and arts complex. Originally built in 1984, the Cultural Center has been a venue for various performances, exhibitions, and lectures for the SNU community.
The event will be attended by SNU professors, students, donors, and their families. However, Chairman Bang will not be present due to overseas business commitments.
The Cultural Center Fund was established to transform SNU's iconic cultural space into a new multi-cultural complex. Bang contributed 5 billion KRW to this fund in January 2023.
The new Cultural Center will feature a vineyard-style concert hall with approximately 1,000 seats, a black box theater with about 300 seats, and spaces for galleries and community activities. It will serve as a key location for SNU's 'SNU COMMONS' strategy.
Upon donating, Bang expressed his desire to give back to his alma mater, stating, "I have experienced how societal support and help can significantly contribute to personal growth. I hope this donation fosters a virtuous cycle of giving back, where future generations grow and contribute to society based on their own dreams and aspirations."
Bang has been actively involved in various philanthropic activities beyond the Cultural Center Fund. Since 2020, his cumulative donations have exceeded 10 billion KRW. In June 2022, he donated 5 billion KRW to the Community Chest of Korea to support female adolescents in continuing their education and achieving independence. The funds have been used to assist over 800 young women through organizations such as Jump, the Korea Youth Counseling & Welfare Institute, and others, with plans to support an additional 600 individuals.
In July 2022, Bang donated 200 million KRW to the 'SNU BIZ Startup Fund' at SNU's College of Business Administration to support student entrepreneurship. This fund was created using the prize money from the Pony Chung Innovation Award, which Bang received for his contributions to the global music industry.
In January 2023, Bang donated 5 billion KRW to SNU for the Cultural Center Fund, followed by a 200 million KRW donation to Save the Children for earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria in February. In November of the same year, he contributed 50 million KRW to the Yoo Jae-ha Music Scholarship Foundation to support emerging musicians.
A representative from HYBE stated, "Chairman Bang has consistently sought ways to contribute to the community's development as a business leader and member of society. We hope the new Cultural Center will become a cradle for nurturing talent, propelling Korea towards becoming a cultural powerhouse."
Reported by Yeji Ryu, TenAsia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr