Starbucks Korea gives scholarships to patriots' descendants

Seoul Veterans Affairs Regional Office Director Na Chi-man (third from left), and Starbucks Korea Chief Administrative Officer Kim Nak-ho (center, fifth from left), and student beneficiaries pose for a photo as part of the donation ceremony held at Starbucks Academy Center in Sogong-dong, Seoul, on Tuesday (Starbucks Korea)

Starbucks Korea announced Tuesday that it has donated scholarship funds to descendants of Korean independence activists who supported the country’s fight against Japanese colonial occupation.

The donation ceremony was held earlier on the day at Starbucks Academy Center, also Starbucks Korea's former headquarters, located in Sogong-dong, Seoul, in collaboration with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and Community Chest of Korea, a local charity organization.

It was attended by 20 officials including Starbucks Korea's Chief Administrative Officer Kim Nak-ho, Director of Seoul Veterans Affairs Regional Office Na Chi-man, and 10 descendants of patriots.

The total amount of the donation was 100 million won ($76,150) and will be given to a total of 50 descendants of independence fighters recommended by the Veterans Affairs Ministry and Community Chest of Korea.

Each will receive 2 million won in scholarships.

The scholarship fund was raised through voluntary contribution by Starbucks Korea in addition to the fund collected from donation boxes placed at Starbucks stores throughout the country, along with profits generated from special sales on Independence Movement Day and National Liberation Day.

Since 2015, Starbucks Korea has donated a total of 760 million won to 383 surviving family members of independence activists.

“I believe this scholarship will give me great courage and hope in pursuing my dream of becoming a social worker,” stated Hong Yu-jin, a student beneficiary and a granddaughter of a patriot who orchestrated the civilian-led righteous army in Gangwon Province to resist the encroaching Japanese occupation in 1907.

“In honor of our patriotic martyrs, we have been conducting scholarship campaigns in collaboration with our customers to nurture the healthy growth of our future generations,” stated Starbucks Korea CAO Kim.

He also expressed his commitment to consistently supporting the patriot’s descendants.

"Starbucks Korea will continue to provide our unconditional support for descendants of independence activists to realize their aspirations.'"

Additionally, Starbucks Korea has been conducting various social contribution programs to help preserve Korea's cultural heritage.

Earlier in February, Starbucks purchased a piece of handwritten calligraphy by Korea’s revered independence movement leader Kim Gu, and donated it to the National Trust for Cultural Heritage.

By Song Jung-hyun(junghyun792@heraldcorp.com)