The Korea Foundation (KF) is set to establish an endowed professorship at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, backed by a gift of 2 million British pounds ($2.7 million), to create a new chair in Korean studies. The first endowed professorship of its kind at the institution, the post marks a strategic expansion of Korean studies into digital culture and the creative industries. Formalized through an agreement signed in December 2025, the chair is a permanent position funded jointly by KF and SOAS on a 50-50 basis, with the university drawing on investment income from the endowment to sustain it. It will be based in the SOAS School of Arts under Korean art history professor Charlotte Horlyck, who leads the department. The School recently launched an undergraduate program in Korean digital media and the new chair will anchor its growing teaching and research in K-content, digital culture and creative industries at both undergraduate and doctoral level. SOAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib welcomed the development, saying, “The Korea Foundation’