Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
'Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of'
Bang Kyung-ja, right, poses with Pusan National University President Cha Jeong-in, at the latter's office on the university campus in Busan, in this Dec. 21 photo. Courtesy of Pusan National University
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
Bang Kyung-ja, 71, a graduate student of economics and international trade at Pusan National University (PNU), recently donated 10 million won ($9,206) in scholarships for students in need.
“I have always wanted to be a proud grandmother showing my grandchildren how to share even small things with people around us. I hope the money will be used for students who are outstanding but struggling financially,” Bang was quoted as saying by the school.
Although she was forced to quit her studies due to financial difficulties after graduating from middle school, her strong desire to continue her studies led her to graduate from high school when she was 60. She then entered Silla University in Busan and studied social welfare.
She obtained licenses for childcare, child counseling and caring for the elderly as well as some computer skills certificates.
“After graduating from college, I entered the graduate school of PNU, as studying at a graduate school was a lifelong dream of mine,” she said.
“Before graduation, I wanted to do something meaningful, so I decided to donate the scholarship money after discussing it with my husband, because it was the money that he saved by running a small business.”
Bang also said it was not her fault that she could not study because of her financial difficulty, but believed it was her responsibility to pursue her studies when she became able to afford it later in her life.
“Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. If you do your best in life, you can create something out of nothing,” she said. “There is no end to learning, so I want to go on another academic path after I finish my graduate school studies.”
PNU President Cha Jeong-in said, “Bang's endless passion for learning will serve as a model for our students, and we will use the scholarship for students who are in difficult situations.”