Professor Donghee Lee of Suncheon National University Receives 'Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award' at Korea Architecture Culture Awards

Contribution to the Promotion of Architectural Culture for Spreading 'Architectural Aesthetics'

Suncheon National University announced on the 4th that Professor Donghee Lee (Department of Architecture) received the 'Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award' in the Architectural Culture Promotion category at the 2024 Korea Architecture Culture Awards. The award ceremony was held on the 30th of last month at the Hanseong Baekje Museum in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Professor Donghee Lee of the Department of Architecture at Suncheon National University received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award (Architecture Culture Promotion category) at the 2024 Korea Architecture Culture Awards.
Photo by Suncheon National University

Now in its 33rd year, the Korea Architecture Culture Awards, established in 1992, is the most prestigious award in the field of architecture in South Korea. It is hosted and organized annually by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to discover outstanding architectural works and raise awareness of the public value of architecture. Supporting organizations include the National Architecture Policy Committee, the Korean Institute of Architects, and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation.

The Architectural Culture Promotion category, in which Professor Lee was awarded, selects individuals or organizations who have significantly expanded the scope of architecture in various fields such as media (film and broadcasting), publishing (books, magazines, photography), and architectural activities (planning, exhibitions, operations). The selection is based on comprehensive evaluation of contributions to architectural culture promotion and continuity of activities.

Since entering a technical high school in 1982 and currently serving as a professor at the National Suncheon University for 43 years, Professor Lee has made numerous research achievements and social service contributions not only in architecture but also in related fields such as urban planning, welfare, and photography. In particular, he has focused on disseminating architectural culture and aesthetics to the public domestically and internationally by producing many excellent architectural photographs and introducing them through exhibitions, publications, and lectures.

With the intention of informing the public about the aesthetics and value of modern and traditional architecture through photography, he has held 15 solo exhibitions and participated in 30 group exhibitions both domestically and abroad. He has also contributed architectural photographs and related writings to various newspapers and magazines 150 times. Additionally, through publishing eight architectural books and delivering 123 lectures on architecture, he has contributed to enhancing the general public's understanding and cultural level regarding architecture. These active architectural cultural activities have been recognized early on by various organizations, resulting in multiple awards (22 times), and have been widely covered by domestic and international newspapers and broadcasts (180 times).

Currently, Professor Lee serves as the President of the Photography Research Society of the Korean Institute of Architects. He is dedicated to encouraging members to produce high-quality architectural photographs and actively promoting members' works in architectural magazines and newspapers.

Jincheol Park, President of the Korean Institute of Architects (Professor at Chung-Ang University), said, “Professor Donghee Lee, as the president of our institute’s Photography Research Society, consistently emphasizes the importance of high-quality architectural photography to members and has excellent ability to spread architectural culture to the public through works captured during field shoots. On behalf of the 30,000 members of the Korean Institute of Architects, I congratulate him on receiving the 2024 Korea Architecture Culture Awards Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award.”