Lee Dong-woo, a sophomore of CBNU in the Dept. of Russian Language and Literature, donated 1 million won to the Library Supporters Project to help develop the library. This is the first time that a student from CBNU has donated to a development fund. The Library Supporters Project was planned to cover budget shortages, such as the cost of furniture and system equipment, in the newly-built library, which is connected to the CBNU Library.
  It was a meaningful donation because it is money that he saved during his military service for the last two years and he donated 1 million won to the project despite CBNU’s attempt to dissuade him. He saved his hard-earned money to make the school better. Let’s find out more about this local silent hero. -Ed.
 
Q1) I heard you donated money that you saved during military service. When did you come to that decision? How did you save that much money?
 
  After I entered the air force, the first thing I did was to create a Narasarang savings card, and they said that if I save 100,000 won per month, I can get 200,000 won when I am discharged. While applying for the savings account, I thought that I would donate it to my university, because most people feel that college is a very important standard for improving one’s life. I think that raising the value of a university will increase the value of the students, so I started saving. I received 200,000 won per month until I left the army. Out of the 200,000 won, 100,000 won went to savings, and I used the rest to live.

Q2) Is there any special reason for donating to the library?

  The reason I made a special donation to the library is that, when building a city in the United States, the most important things are government offices, such as fire stations. The first thing they build is the library. The library is the center of the university and is a symbol of the university, so donating to a library is like donating to a university. Thus, I donated specifically to a library.

Q3) It is hard to share your own things with others. Have you ever felt difficulty in donating?

  My family is nowhere near wealthy, and it is not easy to ask my parents for money while living at school. I suffered some hardships because of the donations that totaled 1 million won.
  Even if life is a little harder now, I think that the 1 million won is nothing compared to what I gave.

Q4) You are still young, so what do you want to do? Also, I think you have your own dreams. I wonder how you want to live and how you will implement donations and sharing in the future.

  I want to be a person who plays an important role in the multi-faceted exchange between Korea and Russia by utilizing the Dept. of Russian Language and Literature. To do that, I must study Russian language and its related studies hard. The most important thing is spending my time in the library. I will often use the library to read more than 100 volumes of essential literary books before I graduate. That’s what I was thinking about when I donated 1 million won.
  Finally, I have something to say to the college students who are in college with me. As far as I am concerned, the university would develop more if students studied hard in a library or preferred the library. I think it is more effective than donating.

By Kim Min-jeong
mj38@cbnu.ac.kr