Chun Shin-il, the late chairman of Sejoong Group, was best known during his lifetime for his unwavering commitment to philanthropy, education and cultural heritage. He passed away Wednesday at the age of 83. Chun had deep ties in Korea’s political and business circles, including a close relationship with Lee Byung-chul, the late founder of Samsung Group, and his successor Lee Kun-hee. Their longstanding relationship helped Sejoong secure travel outsourcing contracts with major Samsung affiliates for many years and cemented the group’s position in the local travel industry. Chun founded the firm in 1982 and developed it into a mid-sized conglomerate combining travel and IT businesses. He was deeply committed to promoting education during his lifetime. Chun donated 208,000 square meters of land for the establishment of Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), one of Korea’s leading universities. Chun is also famous for having donated more than 14 billion won ($9.32 million) to Korea University, Yonsei University and the National Museum of Korea as part of his strong comm