Woojung Foundation awards $250K in scholarships to 83 international students

Students receiving scholarships by the Woojung Education & Culture Foundation pose for a photo [BOOYOUNG GROUP]

Woojung Education & Culture Foundation has awarded scholarships to international students studying in Korea.

A total of 83 international students from 29 countries received the scholarship, according to Booyoung Group, the construction company behind the foundation, on Tuesday.

Scholarships totaling 330 million won ($247,800) were awarded, with each student getting around 3.98 million won.

"I'm very thankful to Chairman Lee Joong-keun, who supports us both financially and mentally, and also to Booyoung Group's Woojung Education & Culture Foundation," said Xaysana Panyavong, a Ph.D. student at Seoul National University who was awarded the scholarship.

Woojung Education & Culture Foundation was established by Booyoung Group President Lee Joong-keun in 2008 and has been granting scholarships to international students since 2010. A total of 2,449 students have been offered scholarships of 9.6 billion won.

International students from countries that participated in the Korean War and other countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central Asia can apply for the scholarship. Applications are accepted via Korean embassies in the students' respective countries twice a year, around a month before the semester starts.

Students already receiving government-funded scholarships, such as the Global Korea Scholarship, aren't eligible to apply. Applicants must have completed at least one semester at a four-year Korean university, as they need to submit academic records for previous semesters.

The scholarship takes into account students’ academic records, behavior, financial need and plans to contribute to society.

"We hope the scholarship can help students contribute to their home country and also to the global community," said Lee Se-jung, former chairman of Woojung Education & Culture Foundation.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]