Scholarship certificate ceremony held with Munju Scholarship Foundation; 120 students have received 480 million won since last year
Seocho-gu in Seoul has partnered with the Munju Scholarship Foundation to cultivate future talent in the AI and information and communications technology sectors.
The district office announced Wednesday that it held a scholarship certificate ceremony for the second half of 2026 at its main conference room on Monday, presenting certificates to 30 university students in AI and ICT fields.
The Munju Scholarship Foundation was established by Moon Joo-hyun, chairman of MDM and Korea Asset In Trust, who created the fund in memory of the hardships he faced as a child when attending school was a struggle.
The scholarship program was designed to identify outstanding students in AI and ICT and to ease their financial burden so they can focus on their studies and research.
Recipients were selected from university students in their second year or above who are enrolled in AI- or ICT-related programs and have lived in Seocho-gu for at least one year. Each recipient receives full tuition coverage for the second semester of the 2026 academic year, with all funding provided by the Munju Scholarship Foundation, which Moon established.
The foundation has run the AI and ICT scholarship program with Seocho-gu since last year. Selecting 30 students each semester — in the first and second halves of both last year and this year — it has awarded a total of 480 million won ($358,000) to 120 students to date.
Moon has maintained close ties with Seocho-gu since founding MDM in Seocho-dong in 1998. Moon is currently pursuing a mixed-use development project on the former Defense Intelligence Command site and has channeled personal experience — having relied on scholarships to complete his own education — into supporting students facing financial hardship.
Seocho-gu is also accelerating efforts to build an AI and ICT industry ecosystem centered on the Yangjae and Umyeon areas. Following its designation as an AI Future Convergence Innovation Special Zone in 2024, the Yangjae and Gaepo areas were this year designated as an ICT Special Development Promotion District, further expanding the foundation for advanced industry growth.
The district plans to continue public-private cooperation to develop local young talent alongside expanding industrial infrastructure.
"Scholarships helped me nurture my dreams during my school years," Moon Joo-hyun, chair of the Munju Scholarship Foundation, said. "It is meaningful to be able to give back to the next generation what I once received. I hope today's scholarships open doors to new challenges and opportunities."
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su expressed gratitude to Moon and the foundation for sustaining the scholarship program. "I hope the recipients build expertise in their respective fields, lead Seocho's future, and create a virtuous cycle by passing opportunities on to those who come after them," Jeon said.
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