Selection of Winners for the 66th Busan Metropolitan City Cultural Awards! ... 8 Winners in 8 Categories

Award Ceremony to Be Held at City Council at 3 PM on the 23rd

About 100 Attendees Including Awardees and Their Families Expected

Busan City has selected eight individuals who have quietly dedicated themselves and made significant contributions in their respective fields for the development of local culture as recipients of the ‘66th Busan Metropolitan City Cultural Awards.’

The city received recommendations for 17 candidates across 10 categories through local cultural and artistic institutions, organizations, and citizen endorsements (over 20 people). After the final review by the Cultural Cooperation Committee, eight winners were selected in eight categories.

In the Humanities and Social Sciences category, ‘Jeong Man-hee, Honorary Professor at Dong-A University Law School,’ contributed to the development of constitutional law in Korea by publishing over 20 books and 86 papers over 40 years. He also devoted himself to nurturing local talent such as legal professionals and public officials and enhancing the competitiveness of local universities.

In the Natural Sciences category, ‘Choi Chang-ok, Honorary Professor at Dong-A University,’ served as a professor in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering, working to cultivate engineering talent, develop technology, and establish industry-academia cooperation foundations. He contributed to the advancement of the casting industry through technical guidance in the materials industry.

In the Literature category, ‘Park Jeong-seon, writer,’ has been actively publishing since debuting in 1987, with works including the novel Silence for a Hundred Years, collections of novels, poetry, criticism, and essays. He has contributed to expanding the local literary base through creative writing lectures and humanities special lectures.

In the Performing Arts category, ‘Park Chan-young, theater director,’ has been active as a field theater artist since the 1970s, playing a central role in the Busan Municipal Theater Company. As the artistic director of the theater troupe “People Who Love the Sea and Culture,” he continues to actively contribute to enhancing the status of Busan theater.

In the Visual Arts category, ‘Kim Eung-gi, artist,’ played a leading role in founding the Busan Youth Biennale, operating the Sign Gallery, and establishing the Busan Contemporary Artists Association. Through 16 solo exhibitions and participation in over 200 group exhibitions, he has contributed to the development of local art culture through vigorous creative activities.

In the Traditional Arts category, ‘Jo Yeon-soon, advisor of the Dadaepo Huri Sori Preservation Association,’ helped rediscover the Dadaepo Huri Sori, which was disappearing due to regional development, and contributed to its designation as an intangible cultural asset by Busan City. She also contributed to the development of folk culture through education of intangible cultural asset successors and research on local culture.

In the Spatial Arts category, ‘Heo Dong-yoon, CEO of Sangji Engineering Architecture Office,’ designed representative Busan architectural works such as the Busan Cultural Contents Complex, Dong-A University Medical Center, and the UN Peace Memorial Hall. He contributed to the development of local architectural culture by leading policy proposals through hosting the Open Busan and Urban Architecture Forum.

In the Media and Publishing category, ‘Kim Sook-hyun, editorial writer at the Buddhist Newspaper,’ has worked as an editorial writer and columnist for 40 years at outlets including Kyunghyang Shinmun, Gyeongnam Maeil, and Busan Ilbo. She has contributed to expanding the film festival base by serving as an advisory committee member of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and publishing a collection of film essays.

The award ceremony for the 66th Busan Metropolitan City Cultural Awards is scheduled to be held on the 23rd at 3 p.m. in the city council’s main conference room, with about 100 attendees including awardees, their families, and acquaintances.

The ceremony will also feature a congratulatory performance by the Busan Municipal Art Troupe.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, “Over the past 60 years of awarding the Cultural Awards, we have elevated the status of Busan as a cultural city and boosted the pride of Busan citizens. We will continue to actively discover and support awardees who quietly work behind the scenes so that the Cultural Awards can further develop.”

Established in 1956, the Busan Metropolitan City Cultural Awards is the city’s most prestigious award, having honored a total of 416 recipients over 66 ceremonies. Past awardees have devoted themselves to enriching citizens’ lives and laying the foundation for Busan’s cultural soil.

Culture Award Recipient.

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