Six Recipients Honoring Gyeongnam Culture This Year at the '60th Gyeongnam Culture Awards'

From the left: poet Yoon Il-gwang, master Kim Hong-jong, professor Lee Kang-heon, painter Choi Yeon-hyun, professor Choi Doo-hwan, CEO Lee Byung-yeol. [Provided by Gyeongnam Province]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Jucheol In] Gyeongsangnam-do announced the winners of the '60th Gyeongsangnam-do Cultural Awards' in six categories on the 26th.

This year's Cultural Award recipients are poet Yoon Il-gwang in the literature category, Kim Hong-jong, holder of the Tongyeong Ogwangdae Intangible Cultural Asset, in the performing arts category, Professor Lee Kang-heon, emeritus professor at Changwon National University, in the sports category, Lee Byung-yeol, CEO of Nammyung Industrial Development, in the culture and media category, Professor Choi Doo-hwan of the Yi Sun-sin Leadership International Center in the academic and education category, and painter Choi Yeon-hyun in the plastic arts category.

Poet Yoon Il-gwang contributed to the development of local culture by actively producing works and running a literary creation class in the region, while master Kim Hong-jong, holder of National Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 6, Tongyeong Ogwangdae, showcased convergent performing arts across various fields.

Professor Lee Kang-heon, a sports science professor, laid the theoretical foundation for the development of sports in Gyeongnam by nurturing sports talents for over 30 years, and CEO Lee Byung-yeol demonstrated exceptional affection for local culture by supporting regional art groups and creating complex cultural spaces.

Professor Choi Doo-hwan inherited and cultivated the spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-sin through his unparalleled research and lectures on Admiral Yi's strategies, tactics, and leadership, while painter Choi Yeon-hyun presented an original artistic world pursuing modern beauty through reinterpretation of Korean painting.

Since 1962 until last year, the 'Gyeongsangnam-do Cultural Awards' have been given annually to recognize and encourage those who have contributed to the development of local culture, arts, and sports, raising their pride.

This year's Cultural Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at the provincial government office on the 16th of next month.