On the 8th, Gyeongbuk Province held the '64th Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture Awards Ceremony' at Dongnak Hall of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.
This year's awardees were honored in eight categories: Jin Yongsuk (Advisor of the Gyeongbuk Branch of the Korean Writers' Association) in Literature, Moon Hyeongcheol (Director of the Archery Team at Yecheon County Office) in Sports, Oh Kyungmook (Manager at Korea Economic Daily) in Journalism, Kwon Changyong (Director of Yecheon Cultural Center) in Culture, Kim Miyoung (Training Planning Team Leader at the Korea Institute of Korean Studies) in Academia, Oh Youngil (Chairman of the Sangju Branch of the Korea Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations) in Performing Arts, Kim Sanggu (CEO of Andongyo) in Visual Arts, and Lim Jongbok (CEO of Lime Co., Ltd.) in Spatial Arts.
Since its inception in 1956, the Gyeongbuk Culture Awards have a history and prestige boasting over half a century, having produced a total of 390 awardees up to last year.
Among past recipients are outstanding figures from Gyeongbuk such as Cheongma Yu Chihwan (1956, Literature), Hansol Lee Hyosang (1958, Meritorious Service), Kim Chunsu (1988, Literature), and Kim Jip (1988, Sports).
The Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture Awards play a significant role in enhancing the status of cultural Gyeongbuk and laying the foundation for the development of local culture and arts.
The selection of awardees was conducted by a judging committee composed of 31 experts from various fields, who rigorously and fairly evaluated candidates based on their activities and contributions to regional development, ultimately selecting eight final recipients.
First, Jin Yongsuk, Advisor of the Gyeongbuk Branch of the Korean Writers' Association and winner in the Literature category, debuted in 1993 with 'Literary World' and has contributed to the development of local literature for 34 years by providing platforms for publishing works in 'Homi Arts' and Gyeongbuk Ilbo's 'Morning Poetry Section.'
Moon Hyeongcheol, Director of the Archery Team at Yecheon County Office and winner in the Sports category, was recognized for his contributions to the creation and operation of the Yecheon Jinho International Archery Field in 1995, hosting various national archery competitions, and attracting national team and foreign athletes for training, thereby advancing sports development in Gyeongbuk Province.
Oh Kyungmook, Manager at Korea Economic Daily and winner in the Journalism category, demonstrated achievements by reporting on the re-examination of the local era of Gyeongbuk Province, in-depth coverage of the globalization of Gyeongbuk traditional liquor, and strategic reporting on the future value of Gyeongbuk's cultural assets, promoting the provincial government and especially the status of cultural Gyeongbuk.
Kwon Changyong, Director of Yecheon Cultural Center and winner in the Culture category, worked for the cultural development of Yecheon by fostering local clubs, launching cultural heritage guardians, and planning and distributing high-quality performing arts and regional identity projects.
Kim Miyoung, Training Planning Team Leader at the Korea Institute of Korean Studies and winner in the Academia category, has produced 22 academic papers and 45 publications over more than ten years, particularly leading academic research and book publishing related to Jongga culture, as well as the digitization and popularization of Jongga ritual foods.
Oh Youngil, Chairman of the Sangju Branch of the Korea Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations and winner in the Performing Arts category, was recognized for his efforts to expand the base of theater in Sangju, a region barren of theater, through founding the theater troupe 'Dungji' in 1993 and promoting cultural and artistic development.
Kim Sanggu, CEO of Andongyo and winner in the Visual Arts category, was selected as the top artisan of Gyeongsangbuk-do and an excellent skilled technician in ceramic crafts by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. He has received numerous awards and certifications in skill competitions and developed unique techniques for Andongyo, registering patents and designs, thereby gaining outstanding recognition in the field of ceramic crafts.
Lim Jongbok, CEO of Lime Co., Ltd. and winner in the Spatial Arts category, contributed to the creation of beautiful urban landscapes in Gyeongbuk, the advancement of public environments, and street culture modernization as the president of the Gyeongbuk Outdoor Advertising Association.
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, emphasized, "The current Gyeongbuk exists because of the hard work of the eight awardees today. Gyeongbuk Province is now leading the local era to create a new Republic of Korea with the power of Gyeongbuk. At the core of this is 'culture.'" He added, "We will continue to make our best efforts to discover and promote various cultural policies so that culture can lead the new Republic of Korea."
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