[Report] "Nurturing People, Sharing Knowledge"... 30th Anniversary of Seongyeong Library

A Library Born from the Founder's Love for Hometown
A Knowledge Hub in Suwon Built with 25 Billion Won
A Legacy of Nurturing Talent Across Generations
A "Fountain of Knowledge" Visited by 21 Million Citizens
SK Extends Its Support Again on the 30th Anniversary

On the morning of the 26th, in the front yard of Seongyeong Library in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. After passing through the main gate, the statue of the late founding chairman Chey Jonggwon stood tall in the middle of the lawn, immediately catching the eye. He was the figure who started his business in Suwon amid the ashes of war in 1953 and was the starting point of SK Group. In 1973, his younger brother, the late Choi Jonghyun, the former chairman of SK, inherited Sunkyung and, in honor of the founding chairman's love for his hometown, prepared for the construction of the library.

Their spirit remains throughout the interior of the library. In the first-floor lobby, a special exhibition titled "Nurturing People, Sharing Knowledge" was being held to commemorate Chairmen Chey Jonggwon and Choi Jonghyun. The exhibition offered a glimpse into the pioneering spirit and passion for talent development of the former chairmen, and at its center was a commemorative plaque honoring the founding chairman. A representative of Seongyeong Library introduced it as "a symbol of the partnership between SK and Suwon, beloved by Suwon citizens for 30 years."

In 1989, SK purchased the land for the library, donated it to Suwon City in 1991, began construction two years later, and in 1995 completed the building and donated the entire library to the city. The site covers 11,830 square meters, with a total floor area of 8,312 square meters, and a total project cost of 25 billion won was invested. At the time, this was enough to purchase a medium-to-large building on Teheran-ro in Gangnam, Seoul, or to acquire the "Seawise Giant," the largest ship in the world. Sunkyung Group also donated 49,598 books and 2,529 non-book materials.

The statue of Chey Jonggwon, the founding chairman of SK, is facing Seongyeong Library in Suwon. SK

Now, 30 years later, SK Group is once again lending its support to the library. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its opening, the group has decided to donate an additional 2.5 billion won. The library plans to use this donation to renovate its facilities and create a modern, multi-purpose cultural space. This demonstrates how SK's ongoing interest and affection for Seongyeong Library have continued across generations.

The roots of this philanthropy lie in the clear philosophy on talent held by the founding brothers. Even during the electricity shortages of the 1950s, founding chairman Chey Jonggwon kept the company lights on and taught employees how to read and write Korean. His younger brother, Choi Jonghyun, incorporated the philosophy of "national prosperity through talent" into business management and emphasized investment in future generations. The establishment of Seongyeong Library was an extension of this philosophy into the local community.

As a result, Seongyeong Library has become a "fountain of knowledge" for the citizens of Suwon. Before its opening, there were only two libraries in this city of 750,000 people, forcing residents to travel to other areas to access materials. Over the past 30 years since its opening, 21 million people have visited, and more than 7.2 million books have been borrowed.

Even though it was a weekday morning when the reporters visited, people continued to come to the library. Ko Youngja, a citizen who has been a frequent visitor since the library first opened, said, "I discovered the library by chance while walking around Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, and I used to come here every day with my two children and packed lunches to read books. We couldn't afford to buy books, but Seongyeong Library had many good books and educational programs, which greatly helped my children's education."

An SK Group representative stated, "Suwon is a meaningful city that has shared in every chapter of SK's history. We will continue to contribute to Suwon and the local community in the future."

An exhibition honoring Chey Jonggeon, the founding chairman of SK, and Chey Jonghyun, the former chairman of SK, is being held on the first floor of Seongyeong Library in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. SK

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.