03 Busan Newspaper 2020-08-07

The first donation of 10 million won after President Hae-woo Lee took office.
“Talent training is important… I hope that young adults will challenge abroad”

James Hong, the CEO of DAEBANG INDUSTRY CO., LTD. donated 10 million won to Dong-A University as a development fund with love for his alma mater.

Dong-A University announced on the 7th that James Hong, who was in the 80th of the Department of Law, visited the office of the President at Seunghak Campus with his son(Junny Hong, Department of Tourism Management, 11th) and delivered a development fund to President Lee on the afternoon of the 6th.

James Hong said, “Although it is a small amount, I decided to donate with great significance that it was the first time since the inauguration of the new president, and with this opportunity, I will do my utmost to make more donations in the future by encouraging our alumni to make donations as well.”

James Hong also said, “In the hope that young people will go abroad and take on many challenges, I have educated my own son to be trilingual in English, French, and Spanish by letting him study abroad as well. I hope my donation could help foster talents.”
He then once more emphasized the importance of cultivating human resources.

President Lee thankfully replied, “I am even more pleased and grateful that James Hong, who made a precious relationship with the Dong-A Business Forum, donated the development fund in the first week of my inauguration. James Hong definitely cut off the first tape so well that I think there will be a lot of good issues in school in the future."

President Lee also said, “I mentioned this in my inaugural speech as well that once a professor bows his head, a student's life will change. In the future, I will become the 'Sales President' who actively engages in external activities to actively attract development funds to support student employment.”

James Hong is an alumni family with three members from Dong-A University, not only himself and his son, but also his elder sister. He also expressed an enormous love for his alma mater by donating 10 million won to Dong-A University as a development fund in 2018 as well.

He also served as the founding member of the Dong-A Business Forum with the position of Vice-President, led by Dong-A University alumni entrepreneurs, and is currently in charge of PR director and auditor.

Since the 1990s when there were few Koreans in Africa, Mr. Hong has pioneered the global markets and has been engaging in trading business with OPP tapes, which are essential materials for the manufacturing industries, fishing nets, ropes, generators, and used cars as well. Moreover, he has been actively participating in social contributions such as sponsoring African children and constructing medical facilities, always keeping in mind that ‘Making money is a technology, but spending is an art.’

By Jung Soon-Hyung, Senior Staff Reporter, junsh@busan.com