Ewha, the campus in my heart
- Date2020.02.06
- 5434
The Ewha campus is widely known for its beauty. Notably, the buildings strike an overall harmony thanks to the continuous participation of single architect: Kim Jung Sik. Kim, the chairperson of the Mokchon Kim Jung Sik Foundation and honorary president of Junglim Architecture, had a hand in construction of more than 20 buildings since the design of the Science Building in 1978.
A sponsorship that started with a will to lead a meaningful life
Chairperson Kim Jung Sik donated one billion won to Ewha Womans University as the Global Women's Education Hub Fund. “As Ewha repeatedly offered me opportunities to participate in the construction of campus buildings, I came to be a member of Ewha family. I’ve thought for a while that as a family member I ought to contribute, and I think the donation is a bit overdue.” He described his donation as “a family duty.”
He has always been a deep thinker. When he was young, he thought about how to create good architecture. As he grew older, however, he contemplated how to live meaningfully. “I concluded that education is crucial. As the proverb says, ‘Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Not just education, it has to be Christian education, and Ewha was a place that combines it all.” The sponsorship from Chairperson Kim was based on this deep philosophical consideration.
To a senior architect like Kim Jung Sik who participated in the construction of some of Korea’s major complexes, including Incheon International Airport, the Main Office Building of Cheong Wa Dae (the Korean presidential residence), and the Chunchugwan (the Cheong Wa Dae press center), what does the Ewha campus look like? “It is a beautiful campus where an overall harmony has been created. When I first participated in construction at Ewha, Chung Ii-Sook, the president at that time, asked two things. The first was that the building be faced with stones, and the second was that the roof of the building be unique. The buildings of Ewha have splendid roofs, playing a major role harmonizing the overall campus.” Among Ewha’s buildings, he is most attached to the Museum. “The roof of the Museum consists of five parts, symbolizing the petals of the Ewha crest. The building was created after a long period of creative agony.”
Be a good servant within God
Kim Jung Sik founded the Mokchon Kim Jung Sik Foundation in 2006. He wanted to do good deeds in the construction field where he had been engaged for his entire life. One is environmentally friendly education about construction that considers the environment. The other is establishing an architectural archive. Kim embarked on an effort to create a list of buildings and search for architecture that should be preserved for future generations and then digitize relevant materials. He found design drawings of works by the architect Kim Swoo-geun, the French Embassy in Korea by Kim Chung-up, and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts by Aum Duck-moon.
His life bears the marks of the contemplation and practice of good deeds because he had a religious awakening that “everything is the grace of God.” “The grace God has bestowed upon me is enormous. Although I continue to contemplate how to live with the right kind of faith, it’s not easy to lead a good life. I want to live with a humble mind free from arrogance and focus on good deeds.”
Next