Seoul National University Hospital said on the 11th that Kim Geo-seok, 78, donated one bitcoin to the hospital development fund.
According to Seoul National University Hospital, Kim is an individual investor with a strong interest in virtual assets, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computers. Kim had previously donated 800 million won to the hospital development fund and 100 million won to a fund supporting low-income patients at Seoul National University Hospital. One bitcoin is worth about 157 million won, bringing Kim's cumulative donations to the hospital to more than 1 billion won.
In addition, in August, Kim donated one bitcoin each to the Korean Red Cross and the Community Chest of Korea. Including bitcoin, Kim delivered donations to each of the two organizations amounting to as much as 1 billion won.
The one bitcoin Kim donated is the first donation in the form of a digital asset that Seoul National University Hospital has received. In line with the government's guidelines for converting virtual assets into cash for nonprofit corporations, the hospital plans to cash out the bitcoin and use it for the hospital development fund.
At the delivery ceremony the previous day, Kim said, "I think bitcoin is a new tool for giving that fits the spirit of the times," and added, "I hope this donation serves as an opportunity to spread a new culture of sharing."
Seoul National University Hospital plans to use this donation as an opportunity to streamline internal procedures to stably receive digital asset donations and to establish an operating system so that donations can be widely used across education, research, medical care, and public health care projects.