SK Hynix employee donates 100 million won to join Honor Society

An SK Hynix employee has drawn attention after donating 100 million won ($72,500) to join an exclusive club for major philanthropists.

The Community Chest of Korea said Thursday that Kim Jong-hun, an SK Hynix employee, donated 100 million won to become the 3,958th member of the Honor Society nationwide and the 400th in Gyeonggi Province. An induction ceremony was held at 3 p.m. at the Community Chest of Korea's Gyeonggi Province office, attended by Kim, his family and Kwon In-wook, chairman of the Gyeonggi chapter.

Kim said he decided to give because working at SK Hynix had allowed him to help shape the future, and the recent growth of the AI semiconductor industry had brought him more happiness than he felt he deserved. "I wanted to extend the fruits of that technology to society and bring warmth to the futures of our neighbors through sharing," he said. He added that he had no hesitation in making the decision. "I already felt I had more than enough of what I need," he said.

Kim said he had participated in various volunteer activities since his school days, and that a community service program he joined through SK Telecom during his university years had planted the seed of his desire to help those in need. Last year, an internal company education program prompted him to ask himself who he truly was and to reflect on his life. "Through that experience, I realized that true happiness lies not in having more, but in sharing what you have," he said.

Looking ahead, Kim said his family's encouragement had given him the courage to act, and he hoped the donation would set a good example for his child. "It is meaningful to me that I was able to join the Honor Society before turning 40, and my new goal is to keep giving consistently throughout my life," he said. He added that he hoped advances in AI and semiconductor technology would translate into opportunity and hope for more people, leaving no one behind.

The Honor Society is a community of individual major donors who have given 100 million won or more, or have pledged to do so within five years. Since its launch in 2007, the group is approaching its 4,000th cumulative member. An SK Hynix employee in North Chungcheong Province joined the Honor Society anonymously in April, making Kim the second SK Hynix employee to join this year.