Inheriting His Father’s Aspiration for [Korean] Unification…
Mr. Marcus Sangho Ryu, eldest son of Dr. Jai Poong Ryu, Chair of One Korea Foundation in Maryland, donated $1,000,000 USD for the ‘New Unification Song Campaign’
Famous composer and lyric writer join 33 top singers to will sing the Korea unification themed song.
Korea Times, Washington D.C. Edition
News quickly spread that the son of Dr. Jai Ryu, an emeritus professor at Loyola University, donated $1,000,000 USD for the ‘New Unification Song Campaign’ organized by civic and faith-based organizations.
According to the organizing committee of the campaign, Marcus Ryu donated $1,000,000 USD to promote and distribute this new unification song. Marcus Ryu was encouraged by his father to make this donation.
Korean Times donor for the unification song Professor Ryu said, “Because I left North Korea at the age of four, even my son has great interest in North Korea and the unification issue. He also reads a lot of books related to that issue. I was on the way to Korea at the Los Angeles airport, and my son happened to be on the same flight with me. So I suggested him to make the contribution and he replied willingly.”
After graduation from Princeton University, Marcus Sangho Ryu studied at Oxford University with a Marshall Scholarship by the British government. He worked at Mckinsey & Company as a consultant. He then served as Vice President of Strategy at Ariba, Inc. and is currently, CEO of Guidewire, a publically traded corporation based in Silicon Valley.
Professor Ryu said, “Because I left North Korea at the age of four, even my son has great interest in North Korea and the unification issue. He also reads a lot of books related to that issue. I was on the way to Korea at the Los Angeles airport, and my son happened to be on the same flight with me. So I suggested him to make contribution and he replied willingly.”
Professor Ryu graduated from Kyunggi High School and majored in law in Seoul National University, inheriting his father’s aspiration for Korean Unification. He taught social studies at Loyola University for 42 years and retired. He has devoted his life to Korean Unification as a chairman of One Korea Foundation.
Professor Ryu said, “Our forefathers lost national sovereignty and let Korea be divided because they didn’t have power. However, now South Korea has become a strong nation. So South Korea should bring North Korea to the path for unification. I resonated with the cause to inspire young people who have little interest in the unification issue through music. That is why I asked my son to contribute.”
The New Unification Song Campaign was initiated with the idea that the private sector should create a new unification song 68 years after ‘Our cherished Hope’ song was released in 1947. Famous music composer, Mr. Hyung Seok Kim, and lyric writer Ms. Eana Kim, will make the song K-pop style. A music director, Ms. Kolleen Park and Mr. Hyung Seok Kim will direct the production. 33 Top K-Pop singers will sing this song with sincere desire for unification pro bono.
The song will be released in August and a concert will be held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on September 19th. Also in August a unification campaign will be held in Washington DC as well as major capital cities around the world.