His will inspired the young students

A 89-year-old Korean graduates from university with the highest honors

Huang wants to keep learning to prevent dementia.

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Age is just a number for Lee Joo Hwang, who will soon graduate from Tongmyang University in Busan, South Korea.

With a GPA of 4.48 on a scale of 4.5, the 89-year-old will graduate from the Institute of Japanese Studies with the highest honors, becoming the oldest college graduate ever.

Born in 1934, Hwang attended school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, but his education was abruptly interrupted when he enlisted in the army to serve in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Over the following decades, his academic aspirations were still alive.

He finally joined university, in 2020, at the age of 86.

In that he says: "I decided to attend university in my eighties, because I wanted to fill the void in my heart, after I had to stop learning because I was born in an unstable period during the Japanese occupation."

Huang said he wanted to prevent dementia through lifelong learning.

While following the lectures online, due to the "pandemic", he faced some difficulties in using the computer.

He said his 62-year-old daughter has helped him a lot. “There is no end to learning, and it is never too late for that,” adding that he would like to share his knowledge with others from volunteering.

Huang was studying alongside fellow young students, in their twenties, despite the large age gap.

He says: “My classmates used to call me 'Grandfather';

It was great interacting with the guys, it made me feel younger.”

"His enthusiasm inspired the learners, and his personality inspired the other students," said Kam Young-hee, the professor who supervised Hwang.

The old student was honored with a special award presented to him by the Dean of the University.

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