Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Hana Financial honors art contest winners with developmental disorders
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, center, poses with the winners of the “Hana Artverse” drawing contest hosted by the banking group during a ceremony at its headquarters in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
Hana Financial Group awarded the winners of its special drawing contest, “Hana Artverse,” aimed at supporting and nurturing talented artists with developmental disorders to mark Korea's National Day of People with Disabilities, Wednesday.
The National Day of People with Disabilities is observed in Korea on April 20 of each year to deepen public understanding of people with disabilities while fostering an environment for their rehabilitation.
It is similar to the U.N. International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrated every Dec. 3 to promote the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities in all walks of society.
The banking group hosted the contest to help the fields of art and culture recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which career opportunities have diminished even more for artists who have physical, cognitive, language or behavioral development impairments.
More than 120 artists nationwide submitted their drawings during the contest that ran for six weeks from January, with a total of 30 drawings making the final qualification list.
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, fourth from left, takes a look at the award-winning drawings of the “Hana Artverse” contest in the lobby of the firm's headquarters in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo presented awards to the six winners ― one grand prize, two first runner-up prizes, and three second runner-up prizes ― during a ceremony at the firm's headquarters in central Seoul.
The six award-winning drawings will be on a display at the banking group's lobby through April 29.
The 30 aforementioned drawings will be in an exhibition at Hanyang University from April 27 to May 13.
As part of efforts to help the artists benefit from the digital art boom, the company supported making all 30 drawings available in non-fungible token (NFT) format. They are up for sale and will also be on display at Canverse, an NFT marketplace, through May 15.
Additionally, the five selected contestants will be given internship opportunities at Spring Shine, a startup that joined Hana Financial Group's program to support individuals with developmental disabilities discover their talents and find jobs.
“By displaying works by artists with developmental disorders in both physical and digital formats, I hope that the group's dedication to joint prosperity and happiness will be recognized by many people,” Ham said.
He went on to say that the company will continue to provide “a wide range of support for the artists to draw a hopeful new future.”
Hana as the country's fourth-largest banking group has been leading campaigns to support disabled people. It was an official sponsor of the Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang (2018) and in Beijing (2022).