*In Korean, “Sip-si-il-ban(십시일반)” means to make a united effort to help a person or a situation. “Bap” in Korean means rice or meal. “Sip-si-il-bap” is a combined word (did not preexist) of “sip-si-il-ban” and “bap,” which means unitedly helping people to get their meals. Also, “bang” means a room, and this makes the word “sip-si-il-bang” mean to unitedly help people find places to live.

Professor Lee Ho-young is a person who busily shares baskets of love. He is currently an adjunct professor of the Center for Entrepreneurship Education at Hanyang University, and the head of the Impact Research Lab and Sip-si-il-bang. Though he has many titles, his life centers on one belief: love is shown through actions, not words — that is love in deed and truth.

The small sharing he began in the student cafeteria during his undergraduate years at Hanyang University expanded through Sip-si-il-bap and Ki-da-ri Bank into the Impact Research Lab and Sip-si-il-bang. For ten years, 골드문 토토사이트 Lee has quietly proven how love is practiced and how that practice changes society.

In his junior year at college, Professor Lee wanted to volunteer. However, with undergraduate coursework, studying for certification exams, and part-time jobs, it was burdensome to find a distant place to volunteer. He then asked himself, “Is volunteering only possible by exhausting oneself far away?” and found the answer in the Student Cafeteria.

Thinking that a place where many students pass by would have a need for volunteers, he immediately approached the cafeteria nutritionist. He persuaded her, saying, “I will donate the meal tickets to students in need if you would trade them with my work cleaning the trays.” Unexpectedly, the nutritionist happily agreed. Thus began the first chapter of the simple but immediate volunteer program ‘Sip-si-il-bap.’

Soon, 40 students joined the cause, and they gathered during their free times to volunteer at the cafeteria. They cleaned trays, carried side dishes, helped during busy lunch hours, and delivered donated meal tickets to underprivileged students. Professor Lee recalls the vivid faces of friends who willingly sacrificed free time for unknown others and volunteers who quietly cleaned trays without losing their smiles in the steaming cafeteria. The volunteers were satisfied with the activities because it was simple and showed immediate results from one’s contribution.

The innovative volunteer model quickly spread beyond Hanyang University’s cafeteria to Yonsei University, Konkuk University, Korea University, and others. Over 5,000 students nationwide have participated in Professor Lee’s Sip-si-il-bap activity, with donated meal tickets amounting to over 1 billion KRW in total.

Professor Lee said, “Sip-si-il-bap allowed people in the university community to experience altruism and solidarity by sweating amidst their busy schedule for someone else. It is meaningful love in deed and truth, contributing to the growth of civic consciousness among over 5,000 participants.”

After Sip-si-il-bap, Professor Lee realized many problems were not solvable with meal tickets alone. He considered ways to financially support students, leading to the idea of creating ‘our own bank.’ Since the university is a community of strong trust, he believed students could trust each other to lend money to one another.

To put this idea into action, he posted hand-written posters around campus to raise capital for the bank. Surprisingly, more than 50 students contributed about 5 million KRW. Thus, the idea came to life as ‘Ki-da-ri Bank.’

The bank’s operational system was simple: students can lend up to 300,000 KRW without interest, with flexible repayment within an agreed period. A 97% repayment rate made collateral or special conditions unnecessary.

Ki-da-ri Bank is entirely student-run, from loan review, accounting, to convincing contributors. Beyond lending money, it became an opportunity for students to cultivate a sense of managing society. Professor Lee noted, “Ki-da-ri Bank is a sustainable volunteer program where customers receive love and operators learn the practice of love in deed and truth.”

All of a sudden, Professor Lee wanted to objectively check the tangible outcomes of his good deeds. He went to study social value measurement abroad in the U.S. After returning to Korea, he joined a social value research project commissioned by Professor Shin Hyun-sang from the Division of Business Administration at Hanyang University, formally beginning work on identifying and measuring social value. Due to high demand for social value measurement, the project grew, and together with Professor Shin and alumnus Kim Ha-eun from the Department of Financial Management, they established ‘Impact Research Lab.’

Currently, with about 10 colleagues, they identify and measure the social value of companies and foundations. Impact Research Lab creates a virtuous cycle by objectively proving the achievements of those volunteering for a good cause and helping them continue to contribute to society, serving as a motivating force for positive influence throughout society.

As time went by, Professor Lee’s attention turned to youths in transition from out-of-home care. Children who turn 18 and the age out of legal protection in childcare institutions face great uncertainty. Most have no choice but to stay in dormitories designated for the youths in transition from out-of-home care. Professor Lee described this as “a life stepped out of protection yet still trapped within the system.”

He decided to help these youths start their new lives where they want. Then, ‘Sip-si-il-bang’ is what his team and Professor Lee established to make this happen. Sip-si-il-bang operates by signing contracts with neighborhoods on behalf of the youths to help secure the rooms they chose within a certain budget. The rent deposits and monthly fees are covered through donations. The goal of the project is to help youth design their lives independently in warm and safe homes. Also, it conveys the hope for those who have just left childcare institutions to feel unconditional warmth while they live in these houses.

‘Sip-si-il-bang’ is not mere support for housing but provides a space to rebuild trust for the world. Professor Lee said, “I hope they experience unconditional love within and out of this program and grow up to be people who can also give out the love.”

Professor Lee said, “During my undergraduate years, I took the course ‘Love in Deed and Truth’ which deeply impressed me with the message ‘Don’t just express love in words, but act with love.’ Practicing love for ten years has made me continue moving based on this noble value.” Regarding future plans, he said, “I like living just as I do now. I hope I can continue to live happily, embodying my values.”

Finally, he left a message for Hanyangians: “The friends you remember after graduation aren't the smart ones but the warm-hearted ones. I hope everyone has a warm life during their university years.”