The 4th Gyeongnam Christian Culture Awards Winners Selected … 3 Million KRW Prize and Plaque Each for Ministry, Arts & Culture, and Social Service

From the left, Pastor Koo Dong-tae, Jeong Man-young, Chairman of the Geochang Christmas Tree Cultural Festival Committee, Pastor Jeong Gye-gyu, and Deaconess Yang Ok-geum.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The nonprofit organization Gyeongnam Christian Culture Center has selected the winners of the 4th Gyeongnam Christian Culture Awards.

On the 22nd, the Culture Center announced that Pastor Koo Dong-tae, emeritus pastor of Changwon Hapjeong Methodist Church, received the award in the pastoral category, and the Geochang Christmas Tree Cultural Festival Committee was honored in the culture and arts category.

The social service category awards went to Pastor Jeong Gye-gyu, emeritus pastor of Sacheon Church, and Deacon Yang Ok-geum of Hwangmae Church in Sancheong.

Pastor Koo served at Hapjeong Methodist Church for 46 years, founding six churches, and established mission churches in 10 countries including Thailand, Brazil, and the Philippines. He also founded the Gyeongnam Christian Federation, the Gyeongnam City Gospel Movement Headquarters, and Sangnam Theological Seminary.

The Geochang Christmas Tree Cultural Festival Committee, a joint activity of the Geochang Christian Federation, has presented festival performances to local residents during the Christmas season for the past nine years. While serving as senior pastor, Pastor Jeong conducted scholarship projects to nurture local talent and operated a community cultural center.

During overseas missionary work, Pastor Jeong’s only son lost his life saving three women who fell into the sea. In his son's name, a missionary organization was established and four churches were built at his own expense on the island of Borneo in East Malaysia.

Deacon Yang, working at a public health center, is dedicated to improving the health of local residents in rural and remote villages and is known as the Nightingale of Sancheong for also taking care of personal errands for the elderly in the community.

The Culture Center plans to hold an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. on December 8, where plaques and prize money of 3 million won will be presented.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.