Skip to Content Skip to Main menu
Who We Are

재단 설립 취지

Heritage of the Foundation

The late founder of Hyosung Group, Cho Hong-je (1907-1984)took pridein being born in Korea, a civilization with a long history that has encountered but survived each of its many struggles and challenges. His lifetime goal was to makehisenterprise shine like a “bright morning star of the East” that would be a beacon of hope and prosperity for the nation.Under the Japanese colonial rule, hedid not spare resources and even jeopardized his personal safety tofoster national pride and became a pioneer in the business world by “placing righteousness over greed.”He also believed that an entrepreneur’s mission is to contribute to society and the people, and that realizing corporate profit is the best way for an entrepreneur to prove his mettle and tobenefit the national economy. He practiced this philosophy and sense of purpose throughout his lifeas he built not only one, but two conglomerates- Samsung and Hyosung –into global powerhouses.

He was succeeded by the late Chairman Emeritus Cho Suk-rae, who made a significant contribution not only to Korea's development as it rose to one of the largest economies in the world, but also to the country's national prestige with his fluent language skills and global network of business leaders. He served as the head of various international economic exchange organizations, including the Pacific Business Council (PBEC), the Korea-U.S. Business Council, the Korea-Japan Economic Association, the Korea-Japan Industrial Technology Cooperation Foundation, the Korea-China Business Council and the Trilateral Commission, to name a few, and made remarkable achievements as a civilian diplomat for more than 30 years. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, leaving a legacy of win-win cooperation between conglomerates and small and medium-sized enterprises, creating quality jobs, and revitalizing international exchanges in the business community.

Mission/Vision of the Foundation

Korea’s short but impressive trajectory from one of the poorest countries in the world to a global powerhouse is nothing short of a miracle. From the liberation, foundation of the Republic and the brutal devastation from the Korean War, our grandfather’s generation laid the ground for industrialization and urbanization. This was followed by our father's generation, who created the miracle of the Han River under the banner of industrialization and urbanization with determination and drive. Their sacrifice and drive laid a solid platform for the prosperity that our generation enjoys today, as Korea has achieved both a dynamic economy and vibrant democracy. Korea now proudly stands shoulder to shoulder with the most advanced countries in the world in terms of its voice in the international community, sports, arts, and cultural influence.

However,in the shadows ofsuchmeteoric growth still exist pockets of darkness and welfare gaps. Korea has not yet overcome the stigma of “exporting” its orphans, and incidents of discrimination and abuse of foreign workers in Korea occur too often. Indifference and irresponsibility create disconnect among social groups and exacerbate the wealth gap.Furthermore, corruption and self-interest embedded in Korea’s social and judicial system is hindering Korea from fulfilling its potentials befitting its economic power asa fair and just society. Half of the Korean Peninsula still live in dire political, economic and human conditionswith bleak prospects.

Korea, one of the world's poorest countries not too long ago, is now the envy of the world with its cultural icons and trendy entertainment industry. However, Korean can do much more and start giving back by helping other nations in need and actively participating in the global efforts against climate change and humanitarian crises. It is our responsibility to pass on the hope that the chain of poverty can be broken by better education, clean water and sanitation and high-quality medical care– Korea is the living proof.

We at the Danvit Foundation seek to uphold the values of our forefathers, who taught us that achieving growth and abundance is not always the end goal. An equitable and just society is where the benefits of economic success can be shared across different groups and communities. As a catalyst for positive changes, we want to inspire a future where every voice is heard and every life can flourish.

Chris Hyun-Moon Cho

Founder

top