Actor and singer Lee Seung-gi has donated W300 million to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (US$1=W1,229). At a ceremony at KAIST's campus in southern Seoul on Friday, Lee said, "Science is the source of countless innovations and I believe KAIST stands at the forefront. I made the donation in the belief that our country can become a powerhouse in education." KAIST said it will use the donation to build a campus in New York, which is what Lee wished. Last year, KAIST signed a contract with New York University and the city of New York to establish a campus there. The two universities plan to conduct joint research into robotics, artificial intelligence and neuroscience. Lee agreed to become a goodwill ambassador for KAIST's New York campus.
Recently he also donated W2 billion to Seoul National University Children's Hospital and W550 million to the Red Cross.Lee has been engulfed in a dispute with his agency over profit sharing. He accused the agency of failing to pay him profits from his musical activities since his debut 18 years ago by deceiving him about the money it made. When he sued the agency, it voluntarily gave him W4.1 billion in a bid to settle the dispute, but Lee declined and continued his legal battle, vowing to donate any money he won to charity.
