In November 1990 an elderly lady gave Chungnam National University her entire savings account and the papers to 12,000 pyeong [pyeong = aprox. 3.3058 square meters] in land. Her account contained W100 million, and at the time her land was evaluated at W5 billion. That was all of her financial assets, having raised a son while selling gimbap after being widowed at the age of 39. It was at a time when Korea was only beginning to have a culture of financial giving, and the media, the government, and the academic community all expressed pride at the development. The woman simply said that "fortune shines when shared with everyone."
Honoring her lofty intentions, the university announced it would construct building containing lecture halls, conference rooms and name it after her. Her Buddhist name "Jeongsimhwa" was to be used, and it was to be called the "Jeongsimhwa International Cultural Center." Construction was finished in July 2000 after various complications along the way, but school officials decided to remove "Jeongsimhwa" from the name. The total construction cost was W20 billion, they said, and only W800 million of her donation went to the project.
Students at the university protested. The building was started as the direct result of the woman's wishes, and it should not be a question of how much of her money actually used, they claimed, and the school gave in. A plaque was placed in the lobby saying that her lofty intentions would be reflected in the name of the building.
Four years later, however, the university has announced it will name the building "Chungnam National University International Cultural Center" and not include the name "Jeongsimhwa." The official reason is that the school's "international exchange center" and foreign language education center are located nearby, and the university needs a more comprehensive name to encompass that part of the campus' character as an international education and cultural zone. The tenaciousness is just amazing, and so is the official excuse. Nothing would help people meditate on the meaning of education as much as honoring the giving of "grandma gimbap." A cultural center built on the virtues of wrapping gimbap should itself be a source of international pride. We call on the school president and other members of the administration to regain their consciences as educators. There is growing criticism that accuses them of mishandling financial contributions.
The Hankyoreh, 10 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Respecting the Wishes of "Grandma Gimbap" |
