Lounge at Myeong-dong's Ondream Society to serve as hub

Free lecture by professor Kim Kyung-il on Oct. 30; registration open through Wednesday

Reading, AI and film social gatherings to begin in November

A scene from the ONSO Club's "Wednesday Ballet Salon" program held in partnership with the Korean National Ballet. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]
A scene from the ONSO Club's "Wednesday Ballet Salon" program held in partnership with the Korean National Ballet. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]

The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation has launched ONSO Club, a cross-sector talent community based at the sixth-floor lounge of Ondream Society in Myeong-dong, Seoul, the foundation announced Friday. The club will host expert lectures and social gatherings for talent nurtured by the foundation, with select lectures also open to the general public.

ONSO Club was created to help scholars, entrepreneurs, social welfare professionals, artists and others connected to the foundation continue learning and collaborating beyond their initial support — crossing the boundaries of industry and field. The foundation plans to facilitate gatherings around shared interests, helping members build relationships through natural conversation, draw fresh inspiration and encourage one another's pursuits.

The first public lecture, titled "Mind Tracking to Find Your Own Answer," will be held Oct. 30. Kim Kyung-il, a psychology professor at Ajou University, will examine the psychological factors that shape personal choices and judgments and share insights on finding one's own direction. Admission is free, and registration is open through Wednesday via Ondream Society's official Instagram account.

Earlier, the foundation held a "Wednesday Ballet Salon" for ONSO Club members in partnership with the Korean National Ballet on Sept. 30. Participants watched a live-performance video of the ballet "La Bayadère" and spoke with principal dancers Kim Ki-wan and Jeong Eun-young about the work and the stage.

Starting in November, the club will also run small-group social gatherings led by field experts. Planned sessions include an ONSO Book Club centered on humanities reading and discussion, an AI Skills Study exploring practical applications of AI technology, and a program called "Classics Loved by Cinema" featuring joint screenings of films and classical music.

"Encounters between talented people from different fields can be the starting point for ideas and new attempts that would be hard to arrive at alone," a foundation official said. "We hope the relationships built through ONSO Club will support each member's individual challenges and, further, lead to collaboration aimed at solving social problems."

Meanwhile, the foundation has also been actively supporting startups in expanding overseas. It recently co-hosted the "2026 CMK Impactpreneur Climate Tech Demo Day" at Temasek Shophouse in Singapore, in partnership with Coexis, a global impact investment and ecosystem-building platform established by Temasek Trust.


eyre@heraldcorp.com