Kim Jae-chul, honorary chairman of Dongwon Group, one of South Korea’s largest food and logistics conglomerates, has pledged additional funding to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, reinforcing private-sector support for artificial-intelligence education as the country looks to narrow its gap with global AI leaders.
KAIST said Thursday that Mr. Kim will donate an additional about $4.4 million to support construction of the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, extending a long-running partnership between the institute and one of Korea’s most prominent corporate philanthropists. The agreement was signed at Dongwon Group’s headquarters in southern Seoul.
Founded in 1969 as a fishing company, Dongwon Group has grown into a diversified conglomerate with operations spanning food manufacturing, packaging, logistics and finance. It is best known internationally for Dongwon Tuna, a leading canned-tuna brand, and has increasingly positioned itself as a supporter of science and technology education through private philanthropy.
Mr. Kim has already donated more than $40 million to KAIST since 2020, including an initial endowment to establish the AI graduate school and subsequent contributions to expand its programs. KAIST said the latest pledge was prompted by a funding gap caused by rising construction costs.
The Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI is being built in Pangyo, a technology hub south of Seoul often compared to Silicon Valley. The facility will cover about 196,000 square feet and is scheduled to be completed in February 2028. Once operational, it is expected to host roughly 50 faculty members and 1,000 students, serving as a central node for advanced AI research and talent development.
Mr. Kim said he hopes the donation will help strengthen South Korea’s competitiveness in artificial intelligence. “I hope this contribution can serve as a small catalyst for Korea’s leap forward in AI,” he said, adding that the school would play a role in nurturing globally competitive talent.
The pledge comes as South Korea intensifies efforts to build a domestic AI ecosystem amid rising competition from the U.S. and China. While the government has launched large-scale initiatives to develop sovereign AI models and expand computing infrastructure, experts say sustained private investment in education and research will be critical to producing the skilled workforce those ambitions require.
Mr. Kim has emerged as one of the country’s most active private backers of AI education. In recent years, he has funded AI programs at Hanyang University and Seoul National University, underscoring a growing role for corporate founders and industrial leaders in shaping Korea’s long-term technology strategy.
