"Wish to Become a Global Talent to Make Our Alma Mater Proud" - Chairman Seo Youngryul of Pratama Abadi Donates 200 Million Won!    On November 23rd, a donation ceremony for the "Seo Youngryul Chairman Scholarship Fund" took place at Korea University's Sudang Samyang Faculty House. The event was attended by Chairman Youngryul Seo and his wife Myungsook Cho, along with President Dongwon Kim, former President Yoondae Uh, Dean Sangyong Kim, Vice President for Student Affairs Hyunsook Park, Vice President for Development and External Affairs Hojeong Shin, Vice President for Admissions Hwan Jung and Vice President for International Affairs Sanggi Song and with participation of 80 Indonesian students studying at Korea University enjoyed the donation ceremony with lunch. Chairman Seo hosted this event to cheer Indonesian students who are studying abroad.      Chairman Youngryul Seo, who graduated from the KUBS in 1969 and is the Chairman of Pratama Abadi (PT. PRATAMA ABADI INDUSTRI). He donated 100 million won each in both 2017 and 2018. The donation from Chairman Seo served as the basis for the creation of the "Geumcheon Scholarship" by Korea University Business School. The Geumcheon Scholarship, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the company's establishment, is a scholarship donated to support fellow students in their academic pursuits. Since 2018, KUBS has been selecting and awarding the Geumcheon Scholarship to four students each semester.    Through this recent donation ceremony, Chairman Seo additionally contributed a total of 200 million won. He said, "Although it has been over 30 years since I founded a company in Indonesia, I always carry Korea University, my alma mater, in my heart." He further stated, "I hope my proud alma mater's juniors will dedicate themselves to their studies and actively play a role on the global stage," while personally presenting commemorative gifts that he had prepared.    In response, President Dongwon Kim expressed gratitude, saying, "I appreciate the active support you have provided for several years, ranging from international internship programs to scholarships for juniors." He added, "I hope that Indonesian students can not only pursue their studies but also have diverse experiences here, and I wish that this scholarship will be a stepping stone toward their future."      Of the 200 million won donated by Chairman Seo, 100 million won will be used for scholarships for Indonesian students currently enrolled at Korea University, and the remaining 100 million won will be allocated for the Geumcheon Scholarship to KUBS students. 

October – November Korea University Business School News    Professor Chang Ki Kim    Professor Chang Ki Kim (Finance) has published a book entitled “Warm Insurance” (Financial Insurance Research Institute). This book aims to provide a warm and positive idea of insurance to Koreans, and it contains the history of insurance, the future, and interesting stories. In addition, this book, which covers the history and future of insurance, will guide everyone, as well as those in the insurance industry, to understand the role of it for a happier life.      Professor Hosun Rhim (LSOM)     Professor Hosun Rhim (LSOM) won the 10th Hyunwoo Kwak Soo-il Production and Operation Management Award at the 2023 Fall Conference of the Korean Production and Operation Management Society held last November 10. Since its establishment in 1988, the KOPOMS has published the Journal of the Korean Production and Operations Management Society four times a year, which is listed as the Korea Research Foundation, and the Hyunwoo Kwak Soo-il Production and Operation Management Award is given to researchers who have achieved outstanding achievements in a field.      Professor Kihoon Kim (LSOM)    Last November 10, Dr. Yoo Eun-sol, who completed the Integrated MS/Ph.D. Program in August under the guidance of Professor Kihoon Kim (LSOM), was awarded with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award at the Fall Conference of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration.    

A Program for the Next Generation Leaders, CGLP    The Korea University Graduate School of Business (Dean=Sang Yong Kim) is operating the newly introduced ‘Crimson Global Leader Program (CGLP)’ to provide personalized courses for the next generation of leaders, built on global experiences. The CGLP aims to cultivate the spirit and traditions of Korea University in emerging leaders who will lead major organizations in the future, fostering management skills to adapt to rapid changes flexibly and actively in the business environment. The program operates in three stages: exploration-deepening-integration course, with a dedicated team of three professors focusing on leadership-cooperation-innovation capacities. It includes field learning opportunities such as participation in the ‘Cannes Lions Creativity Festival’ to explore the latest trends in creativity. The CGLP is a one-year program with classes held three time a month on Wednesday evenings.      CGLP, which recruited its first batch in August this year, offers a unique curriculum tailored to develop innovative competencies in HR organization and leadership, growth strategies and management capabilities, global markets, and innovation. The program boasts exclusive lecture halls and lounges dedicated to CGLP at the Hyundai Motor Hall for a top-notch educational environment and networking professors from the largest and most prestigious business schools, offering an abundant practical experience and advanced management theories through diverse lectures. 

"Hope to Meet as Seniors and Juniors Next Time!" - 2023 Autumn KUBS Regular Campus Tour and Youth Meeting Day    On November 25th, the 2023 Autumn Regular Campus Tour and Youth Meeting Day at Korea University Business School (Dean=Sangyong Kim) took place at various locations, including the KUBS Main Building, LG-POSCO Hall, and Hyundai Motor Hall. This event, organized by KUBE (Korea University Business School Student Ambassadors), is aimed at high school students nationwide.      The event included △ Introduction to Korea University Business School △ Introduction to the 7 majors and 3 tracks in Business Administration △ Campus Tour △ Mentoring by enrolled students. KUBE provided information about the KUBS buildings, scholarship systems, career support programs, and more. After the presentation, high school students who correctly answered quizzes about the Business School received Korea University character 'Hoi' keyrings as gifts.    The campus tour focused on the Business School buildings, including the Business School Main Building, LG-POSCO Hall, and Hyundai Motor Hall. Students were divided into groups and toured the campus alongside KUBE members. The mentoring session involved KUBE members answering pre-received questions from students, covering topics such as △ motivations for choosing Business Administration △ and overcoming slumps during exam preparation.    Gyeonghoon Baek (18 years old, Ulsan Hakseong High School), who participated in the event, expressed, "I left home with excitement and high expectations. The ambassadors explained things well and gave a lot of encouragement, which was great," adding, "I want to meet and greet them as seniors and juniors." Another student, Jieun Lee (18 years old, Yongin Dongbaek High School), mentioned, "I felt that the Business School students take great pride in their school," and said, "It was fun to explore inside the Business School building."      KUBE Vice President Mingyu Choo (Business Administration '22), who planned the event, said, "Based on the feedback from the previous campus tour, we made some schedule changes, and it was rewarding to see students concentrating more," adding, "We will continue to improve and present regular campus tours and youth meeting days in the future."    The regular campus tour and youth meeting day at Korea University Business School are held once per semester, and applications can be submitted through the Korea University Business School Student Ambassadors' KUBE website (biz.korea.ac.kr/kube). 

Wrapping up the Year…Success of the 2023 Global MBA Year-End Celebration    On November 10th, the 2023 year-end event for the Global MBA at the Korea University Business School (Dean=Sangyong Kim), took place at The Riverside Hotel. The event proceeded in the order of △ Congratulatory speeches △ Introduction of sponsors and supporting companies △ Dinner △ Gift presentation. A total of 107 classmates and alumni attended the event, which was hosted by Global MBA 13th Class alumni Sangmin Park and Heejin Kim.      KUBS Dean Sangyong Kim and Associate Dean Janghyuk Lee, President of the Global MBA Alumni Association Jungmook Choi, and President of the 13th Class Sangwook Jo delivered congratulatory speeches. Dean Sangyong Kim expressed gratitude by saying, "I thank all classmates and alumni who generously support Global MBA," and expressed hope that the event would strengthen the close relationships among participants. President Choi shared plans for alumni association activities, such as opening a discussion forum, providing condolence services, and organizing regular golf meetings, encouraging active participation from classmates and alumni.    During the event, 16 individuals including President Choi contributed a total of 3.39 million won, and companies sponsored a total of 7.8 million won worth of 41 items. The sponsored items from companies were distributed to attendees through a draw. The event concluded with a networking session. 

“Unleashing Creativity through Passion and Ingenuity” – Taling CEO Kim Yoonhwan’s Entrepreneurship Academy Lecture     On Novemeber 14th, KUBS (Dean = Kim Sang Yong) Startup Research Institute (Director = Moon Jung Bin) led the Entrepreneurship Academy for the second semester. As the third speaker of the Entrepreneurship Academy lecture series, CEO Kim Yoon Hwan of Taling stepped forward. Under the theme “The Rise and Fall of Startups,” Kim Yoon Hwan shared his journey from university entrepreneurship to leading a company with an investment of over 20 billion won. Taling, founded in November 2016, is a talent-sharing platform that offers both online and offline classes. With 1.5 million members and 23,000 tutors, Taling has successfully attracted over 20 billion won in investments with a method where individuals transform their unique talents into content and conduct distinctive lectures.     Taling, born out of the university's 1st ChuChu Enterprise Program, debuted through the university's startup incubation program, presenting their products and services at the university's startup demo day called 'ChuChu Day.' CEO Kim Yoon Hwan vividly recounted his entrepreneurial journey that began during his university years, expressing the efforts invested in student entrepreneurship. Kim reflected, saying "After I came to Korea University after 4 attempts, I joined as a 2012 student in the Department of Political Sciences with the courage and audacity of 'there's nothing I can't do,' initiating entrepreneurship." He further reminisced, "Looking back, during my university days, when Taling had just started, the marketing methods we attempted were the closest experiences to reaching our customers."      CEO Kim Yoon-hwan successfully expanded the scale of the startup, achieving significant growth as a young entrepreneur. However, beneath this leap lies the traces of intense deliberation during the early days of entrepreneurship as a university student, aiming to minimize business costs and generate maximum managerial efficiency. Taling initiated its marketing efforts by directly promoting to students within Korea University. With the belief that "even if the instructor lacks expertise, there will surely be demand due to its cost-effectiveness," CEO Kim Yoon Hwan launched the business and as demand began to grow within Korea University, he expanded the business to universities in Seoul. Despite being a CEO not even proficient in Excel, he collaborated with computer science friends and attempted development through outsourcing. Kim Yoon Hwan expressed, "The experimental attempts to reduce business costs during my university days, even if they were just a few pennies, turned out to be much more creative and effective ideas than those attempted after the success of the business." He added, "I think the passion and ingenuity unique to university student in the twenties, unaware of many things, played a crucial role in achieving success."     Despite the subsequent success and growth of Taling, the business faced challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim Yoon Hwan revealed, "After barely overcoming a hacking issue, we faced a situation where members who had paid for offline classes demanded refunds, and I even contemplated shutting down the business." To cope with the crisis, to recover from a monthly deficit of 700 million won and reach the breakeven point, Taling had to undergo a large-scale restructuring, reducing its workforce from over 90 employees to 15. Kim Yoon Hwan confessed, "Because I didn’t want my business and the efforts of my 20s to become a disgrace, in times of crisis, I used my own money to pay the tutors' salaries.”     Continuing, he expressed, "Businesses cannot always thrive continuously," emphasizing that experiencing ups and downs is inevitable in the business world. “It seems that enduring these challenges with the mindset that facing setbacks is a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey has allowed Taling to persist until now.” Overcoming the pain of a resignation recommendation, Taling transformed into a 10-member company in 2023, successfully pioneering new markets and emerging as a thriving EduTech enterprise. Since the fourth quarter of last year, Taling has strengthened its customized Business-to-Business (B2B) services for corporate employees, offering a variety of well-being programs, including fitness, hobbies, and self-development, to hundreds of companies remotely. They achieved a turnaround to profitability in the first half of this year, and in June, monthly operating profits exceeded 100 million won for the first time.      Concluding the lecture, CEO Kim Yoon Hwan offered heartfelt advice to aspiring entrepreneurs that attended. He stated, "Starting a business at a young age is truly beneficial. In your 20s, you have the energy to endure even when stable cash flows are not guaranteed in the early stages of a business." Continuing, he advised, "Relying on money to solve every business challenge can lead to the disappearance of creativity." He encouraged not forgetting that many creative ideas can emerge while contemplating how to proceed with the business without excessive reliance on finances. Additionally, he urged the creation of a healthy organizational culture infused with positive energy, striving to unfold one's unique ideas to the best of their ability.