—Playing on LPGA and KLPGA Tours, Shin Graduates in 7 Years
—After 34 Years, Shin’s Father Graduates from Chonnam National University

Shin Ji-ae, one the best female golfers in the world, has graduated from Yonsei with a degree in Physical Education. At the graduation ceremony, Shin received a special award for her outstanding achievements on the golf course, which have enhanced Korea’s international prestige and brought honor to Yonsei. Because of her busy professional schedule on the KLPGA and LPGA tours, requiring her to take two different leaves of absence, it took Shin, who first enrolled at Yonsei in 2007, seven years to finish her degree.
Shin began playing events on the KLPGA tour in 2005 as an amateur. After turning professional at the end of the 2005 season, she soon broke numerous KLPGA records, being named Rookie of the Year in 2006 and winning ten of nineteen tour events in 2007. In 2009, she qualified for LPGA membership, and in her first year on the tour she was the overall money winner, while being named LPGA Rookie of the Year and the Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year. In 2010, Shin became the top-ranked golfer in the world.
Two days after Shin’s graduation from Yonsei, her father Shin Je-seob graduated from Chonnam National University (CNU), garnering national attention as he was the oldest graduate of the university. In 1980, Mr. Shin enrolled in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at CNU, but was forced to leave during his third year. However, he never gave up on his dream of receiving a university degree, and, in 2011, he reenrolled at CNU in the Veterinary Medicine program. The graduation was especially fulfilling for Mr. Shin as it coincided with that of his daughter.

—Hanul Corporation Founder Paik Nam-choon Awarded Honorary Degree 60 Years after Enrolling at Yonsei

The eighty-four-year-old founder of the Hanul Corporation, Paik Nam-choon, received an honorary degree just over sixty years after his matriculation at Yonsei in 1953. Due to the turmoil caused by the Korean War and his difficult financial situation, Mr. Paik, who was a student in the Faculty of Arts and Science, was forced to withdraw from Yonsei during his third year.
Mr. Paik soon went into business, making his mark in the transportation, fishery, and manufacturing industries. Eventually, he created what is today the nation’s leading food distribution company, the Hanul Corporation. Despite his remarkable success in the business world, Mr. Paik always regretted the fact that he did not complete his undergraduate studies. As such, he renewed his relationship with Yonsei in 2005, when he enrolled in the Advanced Economists Program (AEP) run by the Graduate School of Economics. Since 2010, Mr. Paik has served as an executive director of the Yonsei Alumni Association, actively contributing to the university’s ongoing growth and development. Demonstrating his love for his alma mater, Mr. Paik has also personally donated more than 200 million won to the development fund for Yonsei students.