Honorary Professor Lim Hye-kyung Donates 110 Million KRW for University Development
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2025-06-02
Lim Hye-kyung, Honorary Professor and the first alumna from the Department of French Language & Culture to become a faculty member, as well as a renowned authority in the field of play translation, donated 110 million KRW (approx. $80,000) to support the development of her alma mater. In recognition of her contribution, the university named Room 408 in Soonheon Building the “Lim Hye-kyung Classroom” and held a naming ceremony on Friday, May 30.
Honorary Professor Lim graduated from the Department of French Language & Literature at Sookmyung Women’s University in 1976, completed her master’s degree at the university’s graduate school, and went on to earn her Ph.D. in French Literature from the University of Montpellier, France, in 1984. In September 1985, she returned to her alma mater as its first alumna professor and served for nearly 34 years until February 2019. During her tenure, she held key leadership positions including Director of the Francophone Research Center, Director of the Regional Studies Institute, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Dean of the Graduate School, significantly contributing to the university’s development. Reflecting on her career, she said, “The 40 years I spent at the university as a student and faculty member were wholly lived at and for Sookmyung — it was a destiny shaped by Sookmyung.” The Korean word ‘Sookmyung’ is also a homonym that means ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’.
A pioneer in translating Korean plays into French and introducing them to European audiences, Prof. Lim received numerous honors, including the Korean Literature Translation Award from the Literature Translation Institute of Korea in 2003, the Translation Prize at the Seoul Theater Awards from the Seoul Theater Association in 2014, and the Order of Academic Palms from the French government in 2015.
With her deep affection for theater, Prof. Lim served as Vice President of the Korean Women Theater Association, Editor-in-Chief of ‘Performance and Theory’, and Editor-in-Chief of ‘Theater Criticism’, making a significant impact on the theater world. In 2009, she founded the theater company ‘Francophonie’ and has since continued her work in translating, publishing, and staging plays from the Francophone world.
Of the donated funds, 10 million KRW (approx. $7,200) will be used to support the Department of French Language & Culture, including the department’s theater club ‘Persona’. Prof. Lim remarked, “Performing plays in the original language has always been important to me because it allows students—seniors and juniors—to create beautiful memories together during their school years.”
Meanwhile, the naming ceremony was attended by President Moon Si-yeun, along with several university administrators, Professor Jeong Sang-hyun, Chair of the Department of French Language & Culture, Honorary Professor Park Young-hye, and fellow faculty members and students, making it a meaningful and memorable occasion.
President Moon presented Prof. Lim with a plaque of appreciation and a bouquet of flowers, and a nameplate unveiling ceremony for the Lim Hye-kyung Classroom was also held. President Moon stated, “Professor Lim Hye-kyung, as the first alumna to become a faculty member in the Department of French Language & Culture, is both a role model and a deeply respected professor,” and added, “We will continue to support future generations of students as they study in the Lim Hye-kyung Classroom and grow into future leaders.”
