▲ At the awards ceremony for those who have contributed to the development of culture and arts held at the National Theater’s Daloreum Theater on October 22, Park Yong-hyun, chairman of the Yonkang Foundation, received the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit.

The Order of Cultural Merit was established in 1973 to express gratitude and encourage those who have contributed to the development of culture and arts.

In 2010, Chairman Park Yong-hyun established the ‘Doosan Yeongang Art Award’ to foster young artists who will promote the excellence of Korean art to the world, and through Doosan Art Center, provided a space platform and systematic incubation programs for new creators to immerse themselves in artistic experiments, thereby contributing to the foundation of creativity and enhancing competitiveness in the Korean art world.

During his tenure as the Chairman of the Korea Mecenat Association, he served as a bridge between the corporate and art worlds, leading to corporate participation in art sponsorship. He also supported legislative activities, such as suggesting the enactment of the ‘Act on the Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Sponsorship,’ which resulted in the enactment of the law in 2013, contributing to establishing an institutional foundation for the promotion of private sector support for the arts.

In addition, Chairman Park Yong-hyun served as the Chairman of the Seoul Arts Center and the Chairman of the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service, and his contributions to expanding opportunities for the public to enjoy culture and arts and to revitalizing culture and arts education also formed the basis for this award.

▲ From the right, Yong-Hyeon Park, Chairman of the Yonkang Foundation, Hee Hwang, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Dae-Seop Kwon, a ceramic artist