About the Alumni Association in Korea

About the Alumni Association in Korea

Founded in 1947, the Waseda University Alumni Association in Korea is the longest-established alumni association of a foreign university in South Korea. It has nearly 1,000 members and holds various kinds of Tomonkai events every month.

For example, the Association operates Tomonkai groups that cater to many different hobbies and likes of members, such as golf Tomonkai, Buddhist Tomonkai, junior Tomonkai, and footvolley (jokgu) Tomonkai. Not only do we offer leisure activities, but we also hold events such as useful seminars on social activities and career development, aiming to become a Waseda Alumni Association that helps members create a better present and future.

The Association also manages a scholarship fund funded through donations from individual members and has supported students in learning for 20 years by providing scholarships for Korean students selected by Waseda University every year.

We also publish the “Waseda Korea” newsletter annually to introduce our activities to both alumni in Korea and current students.
Byoung Suk Hwang(Graduated in 1995 with a master’s degree, Graduate School of Economics)

The attractive points of Korea

The K-Culture is at the center of the world culture due to its diverse attractions and continues to attract global attention. The K-content has been taking the world by storm by dominating the world’s prestigious charts and winning many awards since 2020. Commercially, it has become a major export item of South Korea, exceeding home appliances and display panels.

Not only is K-POP popular, other kinds of Korean cultural content such as movies and TV dramas attract attention globally, probably due to various new platforms and many foreigners and Koreans who enjoy the culture.

It has been decades since South Korea and Japan began exchanging their content. It would be safe to say that this exchange has played an important role in reducing the distance between generations and between the two countries during the period. I strongly and sincerely hope that young people from both countries will actively interact with one another and go to each other’s country, which will bring us closer together.
Jae Han Jeong(Graduated 2008, School of Education)

Message from the Chairperson

Nearly 7,000 Koreans have graduated from Waseda University since Hong Seok-hyun graduated from the university as the first Korean student in 1887.

Korean graduates of Waseda University have made a great contribution to the economic development of the country at such companies as POSCO, Samsung Electronics, Lotte, and Hyosung. We are confident that the Alumni Association in Korea has contributed greatly to the development of South Korea and the revitalization of the relationship between South Korea and Japan since its establishment in 1947.

Lately, the Association is trying to boost its activities focusing on two aspects, namely holding various Tomonkai activities to attract more Waseda alumni and encouraging young ones up to 40 to join us, and our efforts are steadily bearing fruit.

The Association aims at further growth through the active participation of young members and has regular interactions with the Uri (or “우리,” meaning “we” or “our”) Tomonkai, the Seoul Tomonkai, and the Waseda University Alumni Association to make the Waseda network more active and dynamic.

I really appreciate the understanding and cooperation of the members of the Association.
Yonro Yun(Graduated 1978, School of Political Science and Economics)

Messages from the Members

After I graduated, I went to the United States. When I was ready to fully participate in the activities of the Waseda Alumni Association, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Around the end of 2022, I was finally able to join the Association as a member. I participated in various events, including seminars on real estate and blockchain technology, a sports meeting, and a yearly General Meeting in December. I was very glad I could meet many older and younger members of the Association. A record-high number of members participated in the yearly General Meeting and I had a busier year-end than usual. This year, I would like to cooperate more with the Association so that it would be a more active and useful Association.
Woongsub Kim (Graduated 2017, School of Political Science and Economics)

After graduation, I began working at Toray Industries, and now, it has been seven years since I joined the Alumni Association. I left Toray Industries and now I own a startup business. Since I started working, many members of the Association have encouraged me and helped me in many ways. With the wisdom and support of older and younger members, I am always proud to be a Waseda graduate.

In the 2020–2021 Fiscal Year, the Association suspended its activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, many members of the Association participated in a year-end “Bonenkai” party and I was able to say “hi” to members whom I had not seen in a while. I hope many members of the Association are actively interacting with each other in 2023.
Kyungwoong Kim (Graduated 2016, International Liberal Studies)

After I graduated, I started working at LG Display and did business with Japanese companies such as Sony and Panasonic. Until today, where I am engaged in smartphone product marketing for the Japanese market at Samsung Electronics, I have always worked for Korean companies. However, my work has a close connection with Japan.

People who studied at Waseda campuses and made memories of school days there at different times get together again at the Alumni Association in Korea and share their new experiences in society. I think this is a great opportunity for us all. Our offline activities were restricted due to COVID-19, but from here on, I am really looking forward to meeting other members in person and enjoying various activities together.
Sungmin Lee (Graduated 2014, School of Political Science and Economics)