Korean-Japanese billionaire to give away fortuneBy Shin Hyon-hee
Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - Han Chang-woo, a Korean-Japanese businessman who founded
Maruhan Corp., Japan's largest operator of pachinko parlors, said Saturday he will donate all his wealth,
worth US$1.7 billion, to help improve relations between the two countries.
"I'd like to give away all the money I've made before I die. I can assure that my personal assets, except for the company to be handed over to my son and some money for my wife, will be used for the inter-development of Korea and Japan," Han told reporters in Busan.
The
80-year-old Korean immigrant was ranked
Japan's 17th-richest person by Forbes last year with net worth of 132 billion yen ($1.7 billion).
A self-made entrepreneur, Han stowed away on a ship to Japan in 1947, to shake off poverty in the aftermath of the Korean War.
He launched Maruhan in 1957 after graduating from college there and expanded the business into
food franchises, construction, leisure, advertising and banking and insurance. The gaming guru now generates 30 trillion won ($27 billion) in annual revenue.
Han is also known for his social contributions. When a tsunami and earthquake rocked Japan on March 11, he
offered 10 billion won to residents in hard-hit regions. His company has been helping build hospitals in developing countries like
Cambodia and Myanmar, while
hiring people with disabilities at home.
"I'm no longer interested in making money but in how to spend it," Han said.
"These days I'm thinking about social responsibility activities all the time."
In addition to his personal donation, Han said he plans to boost his
culture fund based in Japan to 140 billion won and an
education fund to 10 billion won, which he initiated last year in his hometown of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/korean-japanes ... 03120.html
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"