Staff Sergeant Seo Jung-woo, who died in the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong island on Nov. 23, 2010, will become an honorary graduate from his alma mater, Dankook University.

Its Cheonan campus in South Chungcheong Province said Tuesday that it would award an honorary diploma to Seo in acknowledgement of his patriotic death for the country.

The letter of honorary diploma is to be delivered to his father Seo Rae-il at the graduation ceremony Friday.

The late staff sergeant entered the school of law at Dankook University in 2008. A year later, he volunteered to join the Marine Corps after completing the first year.

Dankook is scheduled to confer bachelor’s degrees to 2,190 graduates, master’s to 116 and Ph.D.s to 21 in the graduation ceremony.

(jurie777@heraldcorp.com)