91.5 billion won disbursed, 10,000 beneficiaries over 5 years

CMK Talent Development Venture Studio introduced

Foundation evolves from scholarship program to talent platform

Choi Jae-ho (front row, left), secretary general of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation, and other key attendees pose for a photo Thursday at the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship Performance and Strategy Presentation held at On Dream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]
Choi Jae-ho (front row, left), secretary general of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation, and other key attendees pose for a photo Thursday at the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship Performance and Strategy Presentation held at On Dream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]

The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation has reviewed 15 years of achievements in its scholarship program and unveiled a new strategy for developing future talent — one that goes beyond financial grants to build a comprehensive talent ecosystem spanning education, research, global networking and social innovation.

The foundation held the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship Performance and Strategy Presentation on Thursday at On Dream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul, sharing results from its 15-year scholarship program and announcing new directions and operational strategies for talent development. Representatives from partner universities — including Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management — also attended and took part in a panel discussion on the theme "What it takes to be a future leader of South Korea."

Over the past 15 years, the foundation has disbursed a total of 91.5 billion won ($60.8 million) in scholarships across fields including science and technology, culture and the arts, and international cooperation, with cumulative beneficiaries reaching about 10,000. Since the program was reorganized as the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship in 2021, it has selected 1,079 fellows across six fields — science and technology, culture and the arts, international cooperation, global, heroes and social innovation — providing a total of 64.2 billion won in support.

The foundation also highlighted achievements by field. In science and technology, fellows produced 231 first-authored papers in SCI-level journals and delivered 159 oral presentations at international conferences. In culture and the arts, the program has nurtured talents including pianist Lim Yunchan and cellist Han Jae-min, with more than 50 prizes won at international competitions. In international cooperation, 55 percent of graduates went on to work at international organizations or international non-governmental organizations. In social innovation, the program has cultivated 137 impact-enterprise teams, generating 847 jobs, 206.7 billion won in sales and 99.9 billion won in investment.

The foundation introduced the "CMK Talent Development Venture Studio" as the new direction for its scholarship program. The initiative moves beyond financial support to offer full-cycle backing encompassing learning, research, global experience, networking and career planning. The foundation aims to create a structure in which individual scholars' growth feeds into a virtuous cycle of social innovation and a global ecosystem.

The foundation has named "Future Maker" as its new talent brand, built around three core competencies it calls the "3I": impact maker, for those who contribute to solving social problems; innovation maker, for those who generate new technologies and ideas; and integration maker, for those who connect diverse fields and countries.

Based on this talent model, the foundation plans to develop 1,000 future leaders over the next five years across five fields: science and technology, culture and the arts, international cooperation, global and heroes.

The foundation has also been actively expanding its talent-development activities. In May, it held the graduation ceremony for the ninth cohort and the entrance ceremony for the tenth cohort of the On Dream Global Academy at Korea University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, in partnership with Korea University's Ilmin International Relations Institute.

The On Dream Global Academy is a practice-oriented education program for young people seeking careers at international organizations and international NGOs. The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation and Korea University's Ilmin International Relations Institute have jointly operated the program since 2017.


eyre@heraldcorp.com