The Kim Hee-kyung European Spiritual Culture Scholarship Foundation (Chair Kim Jeong-ok), which has donated a total of KRW 8 billion to Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) to promote the humanities and improve cultural spaces, held a 20th anniversary ceremony at the foundation's Yeongsan Hall and announced on the 26th that it plans to further expand its support.

Founded in 2005 on the philosophy of the late Honorary Chair Kim Hee-kyung, the foundation has supported students majoring in European humanities for 20 years under the belief that European humanities deepen human life.

In particular, it donated KRW 2 billion to JBNU in 2019 to significantly expand its European study abroad program, and in 2022 it contributed an additional KRW 6 billion to improve the Samsung Arts Center facilities, thereby enhancing cultural access in the local community.

The event was attended by about 100 people, including Chair Kim Jeong-ok, Lee Hyang-suk, President of Ewha Womans University, Park Jeong-woon, President of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Won Jong-pil, President of Konkuk University, and some 30 scholarship recipients who earned doctoral degrees through this scholarship, who gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

At the ceremony, a newly produced introductory video about the foundation was screened to great effect. The video included footage of the late Honorary Chair Kim Hee-kyung and messages from recipients of the scholarships. The program continued with a range of events, including piano and violin performances by doctoral scholarship recipients, a presentation by a reading group, and exchange and language-study scholarship recipients' "My European Experience." Over about two and a half hours, the foundation's history and achievements were shared.

In her commemorative remarks, Chair Kim Jeong-ok said, "In an age of materialism, we must reconsider the value of the humanities," and added, "The foundation will continue to practice sharing so that the legacy my mother left can be extended to more people."

In his congratulatory address, President Yang O-bong praised the foundation, stating, "The dedication and efforts of the Kim Hee-kyung European Spiritual Culture Scholarship Foundation have revived the humanities in crisis and preserved the future of the Republic of Korea and the essence of humanity," and expressed gratitude, saying, "I hope the foundation's noble intentions will take even greater steps toward the next 50 and 100 years."