Funeral Service Held for Pil-sik Kim, Chairman of Donggang Academy, Remembered for “Maternal Leadership”

Byung-hoon Lee, Head of the Funeral Committee:
"Guided the University Through Adversity and Fostered Its Growth"

Sungsoo Park, Director at Haein Academy:
"Continuing the Conviction to Illuminate the World"

The funeral service for Pil-sik Kim, Chairman of Donggang Academy and Haein Academy, whose “maternal leadership” guided the growth of Dongshin University and who dedicated her life to education and the local community, was solemnly held after she passed away on August 14 at the age of 83.

On the morning of the 18th, a funeral service for Kim Pil-sik, chairman of Donggang Academy and Haein Academy, was held at Dongshin University Donggang Hall. Courtesy of Dongshin University

On the morning of August 18 at Dongshin University’s Donggang Hall, more than 700 people attended the funeral service—including family members, officials from Donggang Academy and Haein Academy, faculty and staff, students, and local dignitaries—to bid her a final farewell. The event began with a moment of silence, followed by Chun Jin, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dongshin University, calmly recounting the life of Chairman Kim Pil-sik. The proceedings continued in a solemn atmosphere with memorial addresses, eulogies, tributes, a commemorative video, messages from the bereaved family, and a floral tribute.

Attendees were moved to tears as they remembered the late Chairman as a true educator who embraced every university member with a mother’s warmth, and as a revered elder who led initiatives for sharing and cultural development in the community.

Byung-hoon Lee, head of the funeral committee and former member of the National Assembly, remembered the deceased as “an endlessly caring person with tremendous passion and strength.” He particularly highlighted how she never wavered in her responsibility to the university and its members even through adversity, and rose to become a guiding figure in both the local community and the world of education.

He added, “The remarkable growth of Dongshin University and its affiliated middle and high schools is the result of her kind character, strong will, and attentive dedication. I will continue to support the boundless development of all affiliated schools so that the precious efforts of our Chairman may shine forever.”

Sungsoo Park, director at Haein Academy, described the late chairman’s life as “maternal leadership” in his eulogy, saying, “She embraced every professor, staff member, and student, yet was also unwavering in her firm decisions for the future of the university.” He added, “Though our Chairman may have departed, her spirit remains with us. We will carry on her respect for humanity, her conviction to illuminate the world through learning, and her attitude of returning the love she received with even greater love.”

Jina Choi, Dean of the College of Health and Welfare, representing the faculty, said, “She treasured every student more than anyone and personified the true nature of a teacher. I will forever remember her words asking us to teach students well, raise virtuous talents with warm hearts, and further develop Dongshin University, which she so dearly loved, into a beacon of learning.”

Changkyun Kim, head of admissions at Dongshin University and her chief secretary for eight years during her presidency, recalled, “She remembered the names, profiles, and even conversations of students in the book club we ran together, caring for them with exceptional attention.” He shared, “It was an honor to serve by her side for so many years, and I will remember her teachings and attitude, always acting as a close friend and a mentor, as I continue my duty to the university and its students.”

Chiyun Jeon, former president of the Student Council, representing the students, remembered the late Chairman, who led book clubs and gratitude campaigns directly with students during her presidency and even taught them life attitudes, as “a great mentor and a true elder of our era.” He added in tears, “Even through illness, she would kindly call students on their birthdays; if there is another life, I want to be her student again.”

The commemorative video highlighted Chairman Kim Pil-sik’s philosophy and lifelong steps devoted to Dongshin University’s growth, offering deep respect and condolence.

Representing the bereaved family, Hyungseok Lee, executive director at Haein Academy, expressed deep gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much for being with our mother on her final journey. The warm comfort you gave us was a great strength.”

He continued, “Looking back, our mother was wise, loving, and knew how to enjoy life. We will live well, cherishing the wisdom and bright energy she left us.”

Chairman Kim, who passed away on August 14 at the age of 83, served as the 6th and 7th President of Dongshin University and as Chairman of the boards for Haein Academy and Donggang Academy, dedicating herself to nurturing future generations, university advancement, and community development.

After becoming chairman of Haein Academy in 2002, she served as President of Dongshin University from 2010 to 2018. During her presidency, Dongshin University carried out large national projects—including the ACE project for teaching excellence, PRIME, and regional university specialization projects—greatly enhancing its educational competitiveness.

Emphasizing character education, Chairman Kim made Dongshin University the first in the nation to designate character education as a required course, established reading and gratitude campaigns on campus, and personally led book club activities and mentored students on life and career, despite her busy presidential schedule. She was affectionately called the “Motherly President” by her students for her loving rather than authoritative approach.

Her generosity extended beyond the university. As the first female branch chair of the Korean Red Cross, she promoted philanthropy in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions; she also served on the Presidential Committee for Decentralization, the Gwangju Council of Women’s Organizations, Asia Culture Center City Formation Committee, and as chair of the Unification Education Council’s Gwangju branch, contributing to community development in numerous fields.

In 2017, ahead of Dongshin University’s 30th anniversary, she donated over 1.08 billion won to the university development fund. Even after retirement, she continued her life of sharing by supporting humanities lectures by prominent authors and promoting reading and culture.

Chairman Kim graduated from Gwangju Girls’ High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Home Economics; she obtained her master’s degree at Korea University Graduate School of Education and, from 1988 to 2008, served as a professor at Dongkang University, nurturing future generations. She served as President of Dongshin University from 2010 to 2018, as Chairman of the board of Donggang Academy since 2011, as Chairman of the board of Haein Academy from 2002 to 2008 and again from 2018, dedicating her life to educational advancement.

For her contributions to education and social development, she received numerous honors, including the Cheongjo Geunjeong Medal, the Order of Civil Merit (Dongbaek Medal), the Mudeung Women’s Grand Prize, the Gold Medal of the Gwangmu Medal by the Korean Red Cross, and the Honam Person of the Year Award for Lighting up Korea.

After the funeral, the late Chairman departed the beloved campus, farewelled by Dongshin University faculty, staff, students, and community figures. She was laid to rest at her family burial site in Goeup-ri, Goseo-myeon, Damyang-gun.

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