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Singer Younha establishes scholarship for students majoring in physics and astronomy

Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 14:38 Updated: 26 Feb. 2026, 18:32

Singer and songwriter Younha [NEWS1]

Singer Younha’s passion for astronomy is no longer confined to just her music . The artist also established a scholarship program for students majoring in physics and astronomy to help them become the next Nobel Prize winners.

“Friends in physics and astronomy, apply for the Younha scholarship. Let’s go win that Nobel Prize,” read Younha's Instagram post on Wednesday, along with a screenshot of a recruitment post for the Blue Lighthouse Younha Donation Scholarship.

The scholarship is a new program under the Korea Student Aid Foundation (Kosaf) and is funded by an annual donation of 100 million won ($70,200) to support students majoring in physics and astronomy.

It raises funds from individuals and corporations to provide living expenses to outstanding university students from underprivileged families across various fields. A total of 17 donors, including Younha, are selecting scholarship recipients for the first semester of 2026.

Approximately 28,000 university students have received a combined 47.6 billion won through Kosaf's Blue Light programs since 2009.

For the first semester, 25 students will each receive 2.5 million won in living expenses.

Singer Younha poses for photos after promising to donate 100 million won to the Korea Student Aid Foundation (Kosaf) on Dec. 9, 2025. [C9 ENTERTAINMENT]

Younha donated 50 million won, with Younha’s band members donating an additional 2.5 million won. Famous Korean YouTuber Syuka World also contributed 10 million won to the fund. Younha thanked the YouTuber by tagging them on Instagram with the caption, “Thank you for joining this meaningful cause.”

Eligible applicants must be Korean nationals enrolled at a four-year university or junior college in Korea whose household income falls within the bottom half of the national income bracket. Their academic department's name must include “physics” or “astronomy.” Departments in the medical and health fields, such as physical therapy, are excluded.

Younha previously delivered 100 million won in scholarship funds to Kosaf’s Seoul office in Jung District in central Seoul during her visit in December.

Singer-songwriter Younha performs on stage.[C9 ENTERTAINMENT]

“I wanted to pay forward the love that I have received from my fans by supporting future scientists,” Younha said. “I hope students studying physics and astronomy can focus on their studies without economic concerns and grow to become the stars that shine in the academic sky.”

Kosaf and Younha plan to continue the initiative as an annual program supporting university students from underprivileged families who major in basic sciences.

Singer Younha explains how black holes inspired her 2021 hit “Black Hole” during a 2022 JTBC interview. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

She has shown her interest in the sciences, especially in outer space, through her chart-topping songs "Event Horizon" (2022), "Oort Cloud" (2022), and "Black Hole" (2021).

She married science YouTuber Lee Hyo-jong, who runs the channel "Science Cookie," in March last year.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]