K-Pop has taken the world by storm, yet there remains enormous talent and hidden gems waiting to be discovered in Korea. Organized by the Korean Society of Culture Industry and the Korea Economic Daily, the annual Korea Culture Industry Awards individuals and organizations who contributed to promoting Korean culture throughout the world.
Do Myeong-guk, president of the Korean Society of Culture Industry and Kim Ki-woong, president of the Korea Economic Daily, opened this year's ceremony. A commentary by the awarding committee chair Kim Hyung-jung was followed by a special performance. Professor Doo Ill-chul also gave a lecture on ‘A Glimpse of the Future’.
Grand Prize Awardees
The Korea EXIM Bank (President: Kim Yong-hwan) was recognized for positioning the cultural media industry as a new growth engine, and played a great role in spreading Hallyu (the Korean Wave) fever by funding large-scale overseas investments in infrastructure necessary for Hallyu exports.
The Korea Association for Community Education (Chairman: Cha Kwang-eun), was recognized for its roles in developing community educational campaigns.
The Korea Tourism Association (Chairman: Nam Sang-man) was the driving force in making the ‘Visit Korea 2010~2012’ the most successful event ever out of all ‘Visit Korea’ events. The association is now focusing its efforts on enhancing the country's capacity for tourism.
Hotel Prima (CEO: Lee Sang-jun) instilled the value of Korean hotel brands by creating a new paradigm in hotel management by developing of cultural business management content.
My Asset Investment Management (Chairwoman: Kim Eun-suk) made early investments into theatre and musicals, and contributed to vitalizing the art sector by establishing an art fund.
Cho Yoon-sun of the Grand National Party, a member of the Committee on Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting & Communications, received recognition for her book entitled Culture is the Answer. She also proposed a number of culture-related legislation for repossessing cultural assets located overseas.
Presidential Council on Nation Branding Chairperson Prize Awardees
The Korean Culture and Information Service (Director: Seo Kang-soo) has been quietly supporting Hallyu fever all over the world. It will continue to promote Korean culture throughout the world across various channels, placing it as the ‘window for Korean culture’.
The Seoul Arts Center (President Kim Jang-sil) is Korea’s most representative art center. It is active in the Seoul community, especially offering programs for children of multicultural families and the disabled.
KDC (Chairman Kim Tae-sup) expanded the 3D industry by grafting a new technology called 3D stereoscopic imaging onto media, and publicized Korea’s outstanding cultural content both in Korea and in the world. It enhanced the global position of Korean culture products related to Hallyu by producing a 3D concert movie of the boy-band ‘Super Junior’.
Wooam Corporation (CEO: Song Hye-ja) is promoting the company’s ‘sharing’ culture by participating in public works in Cambodia and Laos, through donations of data-processing equipment to elementary, middle and high schools as well as to North Korea.
The Head of Seoul Musical Company Kim Hyo-kyung is Korea’s top creative musical director. While teaching as a professor of Seoul Institute of the Arts for some 30 years, he has produced many stars in the broadcasting, the entertainment and the musical sectors.
Special Prize Awardees
The Incheon IT Promotion Agency (President: Cho Sung-kap) was awarded for injecting knowledge and information industry into use such as software, information technology, cultural content and robot technology to the Incheon region.
DataStreams (President Lee Young-sang) is focusing on technology-based business management for competitiveness and development of the domestic software industry. It contributed to the software cultural spread by entering into MOU with local universities to train young talents who will carry on the future of the software industry and to relieve youth unemployment, as well as promoting internships and academic-industrial cooperation activities.
eSofting (CEO: Lee Jong-geun) created the ‘iSafer’ software which prevents teenage online game addiction and censors pornography. It also contributed to instilling computer ethics by supplying blocking software for free.
The Donguibogam Commemoration Committee (Head: Ahn Sang-woo) contributed to the globalization of oriental medicine by introducing the Korean traditional medicine all over the world and registering Donguibogam as a UNESCO World Heritage site.