SM Group announced on the 4th that Chairman Woo Oh-hyun donated 2.3 billion won in development funds to Yeoju University through the Samra Hope Foundation, the group's philanthropic arm.
This marks the second donation following the 3.3 billion won contribution in November 2024. Chairman Woo's cumulative donations to Yeoju University over the past five years, including scholarships and educational infrastructure improvements, have now exceeded 10 billion won.
Since 2022, Chairman Woo has annually donated approximately 1 billion won in scholarships for all incoming students. In December 2024, he committed 6.5 billion won to renovate dormitories, lecture halls, and other facilities to improve conditions for students and faculty.
Last month, ahead of the new semester, he provided 1 million won scholarships to each of the 1,141 incoming freshmen and allocated 500 million won for meal subsidies, enabling students to have lunch and dinner for 3,000 won each amid rising inflation.
Chairman Woo is known for his interest in creating a virtuous cycle where strengthening regional universities' educational competitiveness attracts talent to nearby areas, which in turn revitalizes local economies.
He has focused on building solid infrastructure, believing that guaranteeing basic living conditions is essential to realizing this vision. This explains his emphasis on facility improvements such as dormitories, alongside scholarships and meal support for students.
An SM Group official said, "Chairman Woo deeply empathizes with students' hardships because he himself had to abandon his dream of attending university despite being admitted, due to difficult circumstances in his youth." The official added, "We plan to expand our support in various ways so that local communities can thrive through educational revitalization and talent development, and ultimately contribute to industrial advancement with expertise and competitiveness across diverse fields."