Mirae Asset Financial Group founder Park Hyeon-joo has backed a total of 315,119 students over two decades as Park donated his dividend income, the group said Monday.

The fund was offered through Mirae Asset Park Hyeon-joo Foundation, established in 2000.

The donations went to scholarships to over 9,000 college students, or roughly 700 students each year since 2007.

Of the total, some 60 percent of students participated in exchange student programs, for which the Mirae Asset Park Hyeon-joo Foundation partnered with colleges in over 50 countries including the United States, Canada, India, China and Colombia.

Along with this, the foundation also run educational programs for some 290,000 elementary school students, in South Korea and Chinese financial hub cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen.

This comes from Park’s belief that young Korean students’ global experience is crucial to the nation’s growth, Mirae Asset said.

Many beneficiaries have taken part in mentorship programs, shelter construction and coal briquette deliveries led by the foundation, Mirae Asset said.

Park’s dividend income through shares in Mirae Asset affiliates came to 23.2 billion won ($19.26 million) for nine years since 2010.

By Son Ji-hyoung (consnow@heraldcorp.com)