Interojo CEO & Owner Rho Si-Chul

(Dept. of International Trade, Class of ’73)

Donates KRW 50 Million for Park Tae Wi Scholarship

The CEO & Owner of Interojo, Rho Si-Chul (Department of International Trade, ’73), generously donated KRW 50 million for the Park Tae Wi Scholarship, directed at assisting Sogang Business School students. CEO Rho initiated his funding efforts in 2002 and has since continued to support Sogang students through this scholarship and through the Sogang-Sophia Festival of Exchange (SOFEX), providing a total sum of KRW 430 million to date.

The 'Park Tae Wi Scholarship' was initially conceived in commemoration of Professor Emeritus Park Tae Wi's educational spirit and the devotion he showed for students. Professor Park retired following an illustrious 30-year career at Sogang Business School. CEO Rho shared the original motivations that drove him to make such remarkable contributions, saying, "During the period when Korea was striving for national growth through exports, Professor Park Tae Wi wrote many valuable books — not only for colleges relating to economics and management but also for people in international trade to refer to. His devotion contributed to elevating the stature of Sogang University, and thanks to this, I came to take great pride as a member of this university and upon my entering society after graduation. I am truly grateful to Professor Park."

Since 2012, the Park Tae Wi Scholarship has been granted to one student of Sogang Business School per semester, awarding a sum of KRW 6 million for tuition and living expenses for a maximum of two years. Eligibility is screened among high-performing students, while the final selection is based on the candidate's positive attitude for growth as a social leader poised to foster national and social development.

▲ Interojo CEO & Owner Rho Si-Chul and Professor Emeritus Park Tae Wi

of Sogang Business School (Source: The Chosunilbo)

Elaborating on his generous spirit, CEO Roh stated, "I promised myself that, upon graduating, regardless of my financial capacities, I should at least pay back as much as I had received for my scholarship at college. As such, the donations made so far have helped me keep my promise as the minimum degree of responsibility taken to express my gratitude to this school. I hope that the Park Tae Wi Scholarship can set in motion a virtuous circle in which students showing great potential can register at Sogang in order to take advantage of the excellent education provided. They can then grow into capable social leaders and, in turn, make their own donations back to the school."

Interojo is consistently ranked second in the Korean market for contact lenses and has grown to the extent that it is now listed among the world's top 10 companies in the industry. In recognition of its success, the company was recently awarded the 'Export Tower of 50 Million Dollars' on the 57th Trade Day, an event hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, highlighting Interojo's global trailblazing efforts and its extraordinary accomplishments in exports.