Korea University names new medical center after Hyundai Motor honorary chairman

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, third from left, attends the completion ceremony for the Chung Mong-Koo Future Medicine Building at Mediscience Park on the Korea University Medicine campus in Seoul, Monday. Also in attendance were Korea University President Kim Dong-one, second from left, and Seung Myung-ho, second from right, president of the Korea University Alumni Association and chairman of The Korea Times. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

Korea University has opened a new medical research center named after Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo, who donated 10 billion won ($7.3 million) in 2021 to support its establishment, the country’s largest automaker said Tuesday.

The completion ceremony for the Chung Mong-Koo Future Medicine Building was held at Mediscience Park on the Korea University Medicine campus in Seoul’s Seongbuk District. The seven-story facility, with a total floor area of 12,213 square meters, is designed to support advanced research in vaccines, gene and cell therapy, next-generation treatment technologies and more.

The company said the facility has been “extensively equipped with high-value instruments such as an optical imaging system, imaging-based cell analysis equipment and a G3 robot workstation.”

It added that the center is fully capable of conducting research on infectious disease pathogens and carrying out clinical studies aimed at preventing future pandemics that pose a threat to humanity.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, son of the honorary chairman, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and delivered a speech to an audience of about 100 guests. Also in attendance were members of the Chung family; Korea University President Kim Dong-one; Seung Myung-ho, president of the Korea University Alumni Association and chairman of The Korea Times; and representatives from Korea University Medicine.

In his remarks, Executive Chair Chung noted that his father had consistently dedicated his attention and support to nurturing Korea’s medical talent and providing care for socially vulnerable groups.

Completed Chung Mong-Koo Future Medicine Building at Mediscience Park on the Korea University Medicine campus in Seoul’s Seongbuk District / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

“I’m deeply moved to see the honorary chairman’s sincere and valuable vision realized through the Chung Mong-Koo Future Medicine Building,” he said. “I hope this facility becomes a national hub, enabling Korea to exert global influence in vaccine development and stand strong as a key defender against future public health crises worldwide.”

The company has been actively engaged in corporate social responsibility, particularly through the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation. The honorary chairman established the foundation using his own funds, driven by a sense of obligation to give back to the people who supported the company.

The foundation’s contributions to Korea’s medical sector include a previous donation of 6 billion won to Seoul Asan Hospital in eastern Seoul. It has also provided financial assistance to medically vulnerable patients by covering their medical expenses.

The foundation has also prioritized education, providing financial support to students from low-income families as well as the children of policemen, firefighters and coast guards who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Supporting impact startups has been another key focus for the foundation. Since 2012, it has backed social ventures and their missions through the H-OnDream Startup Ground program. In 2022, the foundation opened OnDream Society, a public sharing space in Seoul’s Myeong-dong area dedicated to social enterprises and their employees.