UBC Reports | Vol. 47 | No. 20 | December 13, 2001

$1.25-million gift to fund Korean literature chair

A $1.25-million gift from the Seoul-based International Communication Foundation (ICF) will help establish UBC as a major centre of Korean language and literature in Canada.

The ICF gift, fully matched by UBC, will fund the Young Bin Min Chair in Korean Literature and Literary Translation in the Asian Studies Dept. A search for a world leader in the study of Korean literature and Korean to English translation to fill the chair will begin immediately.

"UBC and ICF share an appreciation of the significance and importance of Korean language and culture," says UBC President Martha Piper. "Now, with the support of the ICF, we feel our program will be unequaled."

Class enrollments and the university's Korean library is growing steadily, says Asian Studies Assoc. Prof. Ross King.

"It's clear that students have an interest in, and a demand for, Korean studies," he says. "The chair will in turn attract other outstanding teachers and researchers, allowing students to interact with some of the best Korean scholars in the world."

The chair is named for Young Bin Min, the founder of ICF and YBM Si-sa, one of the leading publishers in Korea. He founded the ICF to raise the profile of Korean literature overseas. This donation is the largest international gift that the foundation has made.

The chair will build on UBC's strengths in Korean studies, which also include the Centre for Korean Research and exchange agreements with 12 Korean universities and institutes. A recent agreement established a joint academic program with Korea University, which will bring approximately 100 Korean students to UBC each year.