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The family of the founder of Ilchokak, a renowned publishing company with over 70 years of history in Korea, has pledged a substantial donation to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU).
Dr. HAN Kyung Koo, formerly Secretary-General of KNCU, and his siblings have pledged to donate 100 million Won to honor their late father, HAN Man Nyeon (1925-2004), the founder of Ilchokak Publishing Co., Ltd.
KNCU held a ceremony on February 5 at UNESCO House in Myeongdong, Seoul, to commemorate the donation pledge. The event was attended by the five donors: HAN Sung Koo, HAN Kyung Koo, HAN Joon Koo, HAN Hong Koo, and HAN Seung Mi.
The donation will comprise 10 million Won per year over 10 years. It will be used as an important financial resource to support the activities of KNCU, focused on producing and publishing a variety of video content. This contribution will play a key role in promoting UNESCO’s ideals and values in audiovisual formats, which are essential for engaging younger generations. KNCU is committed to ensuring that the donation is used meaningfully and effectively.
HAN Man Nyeon served as vice president of the International Association of Publishers, and successfully led a field survey on the development of South Korea’s book industry after participating in the Regional Book Conference in Tokyo which UNESCO supported to promote book development in Asia. For a decade following 1966, he contributed greatly to the development of the Korean publishing industry and the spread of UNESCO values
With this donation, the HAN family donors have become KNCU ‘Future Leaders’, a group of financial donors leading the way in creating a peaceful and sustainable future.