Penn Alumni Reception in Seoul

May 23, 2011

On Monday night, Dr. Gutmann announced two gifts to Penn’s Korean Studies Program at a gathering of close to 300 Penn alumni in Seoul. Alumnus James Joo-Jin Kim (W'59, G'61, GR'63) gave $6 million to the Korean Studies Program, which will be renamed the James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies, and an anonymous alumnus gave $1.5 million to establish a post-doctoral fellowship in Korean Studies. Kim’s wife Agnes and son John (C ’92, W’04) attended the event.

“Because the Republic of Korea is such an important global presence, I am especially pleased to be able to announce this gift in Seoul,” said Gutmann. “Joo-Jin Kim's generosity will enable us to expose an even wider community of students to Korea— by weaving an understanding and appreciation of the country into the fabric of academic life at Penn.”

• Penn Visit to Seoul National University
• Penn Visit to Taipei and Alumni Dinner
• Penn Partners with the Chinese Academy of Sciences

This event was part of Penn's visit to East Asia, formalizing two academic partnerships, hosting alumni gatherings in Korea and Taiwan, and announcing alumni gifts to Penn’s Korean Studies Program. View the Engaging Globally story describing this visit.