SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won is to attend the opening of the SK Olympic Handball Gym on Sunday, commemorating the first gym in Korea to have handball only courts.

The gym, which took a year and a half to complete, is a result of Chey’s contribution to the Korea Handball Federation’s construction plan.

The total building cost amounted to 43.4 billion won ($380 million), officials said.

Chey, also the head of the Korean Handball Federation, decided to build a specialized gym in Olympic Park when he was named as head of the organization in 2008.

Making a pledge of full support, the chairman kept his word with the KHF to improve the environment for players and boost public interest.

SK’s dedication to the sports industry, the officials said, is expected to set an exemplary case for other Korean conglomerates, in showing corporate social responsibility in a rather neglected area of public interest.

The chairman has already made contributions to different public facilities in the past, including a crematorium and funeral hall in Sejong City and a public park in Ulsan.

By Monica Suk (monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)