42nd Suwon Cultural Award Recipients Announced and Honored

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special City held the ‘42nd Suwon Cultural Award’ ceremony on the 15th at the Suwon Convention Center and awarded trophies to six recipients.

The recipients are: △Academic category: Kim Kyung-hwan, Dean of Global Entrepreneurship Graduate School at Sungkyunkwan University △Art category: Oh Hye-ryeon, Western Painter △Education category: Lee Chul-gyu, Principal of Hyodong Elementary School △Community Service category: Lee Ju-hyun, Director of Maeyeoul Volunteer Center △Sports category: Ahn Sung-geun, President of Suwon Kendo Association △Media category: Choi Yun-jeong, President and Representative Director of Jungbu Ilbo.

In the academic category, Kim Kyung-hwan, Dean of Global Entrepreneurship Graduate School at Sungkyunkwan University, is a leading scholar in technology commercialization and startup performance dissemination. He oversees the university's startup governance while directing major initiatives including the Startup-Focused University Project, Laboratory Startup Innovation Group, Campus Town, and the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center. Through programs such as off-campus entrepreneurship, practical entrepreneurship foundations, and startup business idea initiatives, he has cultivated an entrepreneurial spirit in students and produced approximately 180 specialized professionals. Over the past five years, he has achieved cumulative in-campus startup investments of 200 billion won and a total company value of 1.1 trillion won.

In the art category, Oh Hye-ryeon, a western painter, is a founding member of ‘Hwahong Artists Association,’ Suwon’s first women’s watercolor group established in 1996. She has contributed to expanding the watercolor population, improving the creative environment for female artists, promoting art exchanges, and advancing Suwon’s art scene. Emphasizing ‘one hobby and exercise per person,’ she has engaged in diverse activities including adult painting classes, teaching watercolor at Gyeonggi Art Center, and conducting adult watercolor lectures at Jangan District Civic Center.

In the education category, Lee Chul-gyu, Principal of Hyodong Elementary School, has pioneered student-centered educational environments through creative invention education including the ‘Rainbow Learning Model’ and the ‘Hongik Learning Method.’ The school has been selected as a participant in autonomous lunch selection programs, an IB interest school, disaster safety training participant school, and an imaginative school playground pilot project, and was designated an atopy and asthma-safe school, providing students with opportunities to participate in diverse programs. He has also donated prize money from various competitions to Suwon City and the Gyeonggi Province Red Cross.

In the community service category, Lee Ju-hyun, Director of Maeyeoul Volunteer Center, has served as director for 13 years since the center opened in 2012, organizing and managing volunteers and creating a resident participation-centered sharing ecosystem. He has stably operated Maeyeoul Book Café, providing residents with a rest space, and has used profits for meal-sharing volunteer work and scholarship sponsorship, establishing a virtuous-cycle volunteer service model. Over the past decade, he has constructed a community-based care safety net through scholarship sponsorship for low-income youth and meal-sharing activities for elderly individuals living alone.

In the sports category, Ahn Sung-geun, President of Suwon Kendo Association, has worked as a sports leader to promote harmony between community sports and elite sports while contributing to youth development and local sports advancement. Through continuous tournament operations, he has expanded participation opportunities for athletes and actively supported athletes competing in national competitions, contributing to improved athletic performance and morale.

In the media category, Choi Yun-jeong, President and Representative Director of Jungbu Ilbo, has concluded agreements with local universities regarding educational business development, job and startup infrastructure development, and other matters, providing university students with opportunities to experience media environments and gain practical experience. As the first local media outlet to introduce an AI news search service, she has taken a proactive approach to media changes. She has formed a citizen reporter group to fulfill the social role of local media that communicates with citizens. Additionally, she was the first media outlet in Gyeonggi Province to join Gyeonggi Fundraising Association’s Love of Fruit ‘Good Workplace’ program and has consistently practiced sharing through blood donations and briquette volunteer work.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, “Those who have received this honor are those who have dedicated themselves to the development of Suwon’s culture, arts, and sports,” and “Their dedication and passion are the pride of Suwon and a legacy to be shared by all citizens.”

The Suwon Cultural Award, which began in 1984, is a prestigious and authoritative award that recognizes and honors citizens who have made significant contributions to community development. As of last year, it has been awarded to 213 recipients.