Hyundai Motor’s Chung Mong-koo Foundation offered a new round of scholarships to some 1,400 talented underprivileged students on Thursday.

The recipients included students who showed promise in basic science or cultural arts, those who lost their parents in car accidents and defector college students from North Korea.

Since its creation in 2009, the scholarship program has provided 15 billion won to about 15,000 students as of 2012, the foundation said.

The foundation was established in 2011 when Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung donated 500 billion won out of his pocket ― the highest amount ever given as an individual donation here. He has given 650 billion won to the fund to date.

By Lee Ji-yoon  (jylee@heraldcorp.com)