Singer Kim Jin-pyo Launches Ko Hong-myeong and Ham Eun-sook Cultural Foundation to Carry On the Value of Writing

Exhibition of Award-Winning Works
"Bad Handwriting, Its Resonance" Open to the Public for Free

Jinpyo Kim, Chairman, is speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Hongmyung Ko & Eunsuk Ham Cultural Foundation held on the 13th at Donhwamun Gugakdang in Seoul. Photo by Music Farm Entertainment

Music Farm Entertainment announced on May 14 that singer Kim Jin-pyo has established a public foundation to support creators, following in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather.

The Ko Hong-myeong and Ham Eun-sook Cultural Foundation held its inauguration ceremony at Donhwamun Gugakdang in Seoul on the 13th and officially began its activities. The foundation was established to honor the legacy of Chairman Ko Hong-myeong, founder of Korea Pilot Fountain Pen, and President Ham Eun-sook. Its core value is to support writing, inheriting the spirit of these two individuals who dedicated their lives to the Korean stationery industry.

The establishment of the foundation fulfills Chairman Ko's wish, which he expressed during his lifetime, nearly a decade later. Chairman Kim Jin-pyo rediscovered the power of records while organizing his maternal grandfather's old diaries, which shaped the foundation's direction. In his grandfather's final diary, written at the age of ninety with shaky handwriting, Kim realized the traces and emotional resonance conveyed by imperfect script.

To support creators and promote cultural dissemination, the foundation will operate a multipurpose exhibition space called "Studio Goham." This venue features movable walls and hidden seating, allowing it to be adapted for everything from small-scale publishing events to curated exhibitions.

The foundation also unveiled an exhibition of the winning works from its first project, the "Goham Bad Handwriting Contest." Under the slogan "There is no handwriting that isn't beautiful in the world," the contest received 7,307 entries. Lyricist Kim Eana and calligraphy artist Gong Byeonggak served as judges and selected 26 final works. The total prize money amounted to 30 million won.

The exhibition of winning entries, titled "Bad Handwriting, Its Resonance," will be open to the public free of charge for two months at Studio Goham in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Chairman Kim stated, "As a foundation that supports writing, we will continue our activities to support creators and spread writing culture."

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