For Underwood Mission Fund, Result of 30 Years of Hard Work CEO Jay Kyung-Oh (Philosophy, ’61) of Dongbang Food Master made a significant contribution toward realizing Yonsei’s dream of global missions, donating two billion won to the Underwood Mission Fund. On November 6, Mr. Jay visited Yonsei President Kim Han-Joong to make his donation. “I hope this will be the catalyst to many more future donations,” said Mr Jay. This donation was the result of 30 long years of hard work. “Through God’s grace, I have made it through an eventful life to this day. When I opened my company 30 years ago, I promised myself that I would contribute to missionary efforts for the glory of God and collected the funds for this donation from that day on.” “Life was hard; I once even contemplated suicide. But every time, God led me to the right direction.” Indeed, Mr. Jay’s life was full of hardship. Born in a small town in Gyeongsang-do, he lost his mother at age eight and had to earn his tuition throughout middle school and high school. After graduating, he attempted to enter Japan as a stowaway and was arrested. At Yonsei, in the Philosophy Department, Mr. Jay had to continue working to support himself. His experience at a food company during this time led him to establish Dongbang Food in 1979. This company has now become a well-established company in food industry. Mr. Jay was deeply interested in foreign missions because religion had helped him overcome his difficult environment. “I was thinking that I would like to make a donation toward mission work with the money I had earned over the past 30 years. One day, I read about the Underwood Mission Award in the Yonsei Alumni Newsletter and decided that my alma mater would be the best institution to make that donation to.” Even with a large donation of two billion won, Mr. Jay declined to attach his name to the donation; instead, he wished merely to add to the original Underwood Mission Fund. Rather than personal glory, Mr. Jay hopes to help make the Underwood Mission Fund grow so that the money can be used for God’s cause for a long time. Presenting Mr. Jay with a plaque, Yonsei President Kim promised to support the missionaries working in the far reaches of the world and anticipated that Mr. Jay’s donation would lead many others to follow his example. Yonsei University established the Underwood Memorial Association in 2000 to commemorate Underwood’s spirit and also instituted the Underwood Mission Award to recognize missionaries working all over the world—all in the spirit of carrying on the will of God who sent Underwood to Korea 123 years ago.