Chong Kun Dang Gochon Foundation announced on January 3 that it held its "2026 Scholarship Certificate Award Ceremony" at Chong Kun Dang headquarters in Chungjeong-ro, Seoul on December 27.
The foundation will provide scholarships and free dormitory housing until graduation to 403 domestic and international students, including 110 newly selected this year. The organization plans to invest approximately 3 billion won annually in scholarship programs, including academic projects and other public interest initiatives.
Among the selected scholars, 168 students will receive 1.1 billion won in tuition and living expense scholarships. The foundation will cover full university tuition for 98 tuition scholarship recipients—57 domestic and 41 overseas students—while 70 living expense scholarship recipients will receive 500,000 won monthly.
For 235 university students from outside the Seoul metropolitan area, the foundation provides free dormitory housing at "Chong Kun Dang Gochon Hall," with all utility costs covered. Dormitory residents can save more than 8 million won annually in housing costs, bringing total support to approximately 1.9 billion won per year.
Chong Kun Dang Gochon Hall was the first residential support facility established by a private scholarship foundation in Korea, designed to help students from regional areas struggling with housing amid rising rental costs. The initiative was proposed by Chong Kun Dang Chairman Lee Jang-han to address practical difficulties facing young people. The facilities currently operate in four locations near major Seoul universities: Donggyo-dong in Mapo-gu (Building 1), Hwigyeong-dong in Dongdaemun-gu (Building 2), Junggok-dong in Gwangjin-gu (Building 3), and Yeongdeungpo-dong in Yeongdeungpo-gu (Building 4).
Kim Moon-kyung, a student at Sookmyung Women's University selected as this year's scholarship recipient, said: "I am grateful to the foundation for recognizing my growth potential and actively supporting my future. This scholarship has become a powerful motivation toward my dreams, and I will build expertise in my field to become someone who can give hope to others in the future."
Chong Kun Dang Gochon Foundation Chairman Jung Jae-jung emphasized: "The foundation's mission is to create an environment where students with unlimited potential can focus on their studies without financial hardship and fully pursue their dreams. We will spare no effort in providing multifaceted support so that our scholars can grow into convergent talents equipped with both professional knowledge and warm character."
Chong Kun Dang Gochon Foundation was established in 1973 with personal funds from the late Gochon Lee Jong-keun, founder of Chong Kun Dang, with the goal of returning corporate profits to society. The foundation has expanded its reach beyond Korea to support international students in Indonesia and Vietnam. Over 53 years since its establishment, the foundation has provided 76.1 billion won to 10,926 recipients, operating the largest scholarship program among Korean pharmaceutical companies.