Empowering Korean Americans through Scholarships
The Ryu Family Foundation is dedicated to providing SeolBong (설봉) scholarships to Koreans and Korean Americans, empowering them through financial support and the enduring philosophy of our late chairman. Founded in December 29, 1994, by Jaedoo Ryu, the founder and late Chairman of Pro Line Manufacturing Company, the foundation utilizes a significant portion of his personal fortune.
The late Chairman Ryu had a lifelong vision to give back to the Korean-American community by helping Korean-Americans in fulfilling their dreams through higher education. Following his passing, we remain committed to growing and expanding the Foundation while staying true to his motives and objectives.
Our mission is to empower people through his philosophy - "Live honestly, work diligently; nourishing credibility. People and money will follow you naturally. Credibility is the bloodline of life. 신용을 지키며 정직하고 성실히 살면 사람과 돈은 따라 오는 법. 신용이 곧 생명이다!" - 고 설봉 재단 유재두 회장님 삶의 철학
We will be accepting applications in the fall of this year for the 30th SeolBong scholarship.
The late Chairman Ryu had four primary motives for establishing this foundation:
1) The late Chairman Ryu wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father who built a school in Youngduk (영덕) County of North Kyungsang Province(경상북도) in South Korea. His father taught all the children in the Ryu family and the other children in the village as well. He also provided financial assistance to students who wanted to pursue higher education.
2) When the late Chairman Ryu was a student in Japan during the last few years of World War II, he endured economic hardship and had to work to pay off education and his personal expenses. The late Chairman never forgot how challenging those times were for him, and one of his lifelong goals was to help young students to overcome their own economic hardships.
3) The late Chairman Ryu saw that many Korean immigrant parents had strong desires to have their children attend prestigious colleges, but struggled to provide the financial support to make that possible for them. He witnessed that many students had to defer their pursuit of study due to financial difficulties.
4) The late Chairman Ryu believed that attaining higher education was of utmost importance to Korean immigrants who lived in a country where racial equality is as of yet an ideal rather than a reality. He believed that higher education provides young Korean Americans with the advanced knowledge and technical skills to succeed in society even when they may have a disadvantage financially or socially.
