By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
Kyobo Life Insurance Chairman and CEO, Shin Chang-jae won the 19th Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award for his long-time support of Korean literature.
The prestigious award presented by the 104-year-old German manufacturer of pens, jewelry and watches is given to 11 patrons of culture and the arts around the world each year.
The awardees receive a 'Patron of Art Edition' Montblanc pen, produced in pure gold only for the awardees, and 15,000 euros. Shin is scheduled to donate the money to Miracle of Music, a non-profit foundation conceived by celebrated conductor maestro, Chung Myung-whun.
Montblanc recognized Shin's continuous support for Korean literature. The 58-year-old former medical professor from Seoul National University has been promoting the country's literature through the Daesan Foundation, which was established under the auspices of Kyobo Life Insurance in accordance with the wishes of his father, former Kyobo Life Insurance Chairman Shin Yong-ho.
The foundation set up Daesan Literary Awards, one of the biggest literary awards in the country. The award-winning works are translated into various languages, published by reputable publishers in appropriate countries, and thereby made widely known abroad, helping the country's literature to be shared with readers around the world.
The foundation also distributes Daesan Creative Writing Funds to discover and foster talented writers and supports the translation of Korean literature and Korean literature studies overseas.
Kyobo, one of the country's top three life insurers, has long been affiliated with literature. The founder, Shin opened Kyobo Book Center at the insurer's headquarters building in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul, despite concern that it should run a more profitable business than a bookstore there. He set up what became the most famous bookstore in the country, steadfast that books would nurture young people.
Kyobo is also known for the gigantic phrase board hanging from the Gwanghwamun headquarters building. The board depicts phrases from a poem or an axiom, replaced each season, and has worked like an oasis in the busy city where few people have time to be refreshed through literature.
Despite not being human, the Gwanghwamun sign was chosen as one of the ``100 people who illuminated our world'' in 2007, and was selected as the ``Korean language lover'' the following year.