Kyobo Life Chairman to become 'honorary poet'

By Nam Hyun-woo

Shin Chang-jae

Kyobo Life Insurance Chairman Shin Chang-jae will become an “honorary poet” acknowledged by the Society of Korean Poets, the insurer said, Thursday.

In a New Year gathering of the society on Jan. 18, Shin will be awarded the honor for his efforts to assist poets through various methods.

The insurer said that Shin earned this honor for helping Korean literature's progress and globalization by running the Daesan Foundation and Kyobo Bookstore, the country's largest bookstore chain.

"Chairman Shin has made a huge contribution to the progress and the popularization of the country's literature, as well as setting a model case as a corporate patron of the arts," an official at the society said.

Shin is known for his dedication to the progress of Korean literature.

The Daesan Foundation, established in 1992, is a non-profit cultural foundation to support writers and the translations of their works.

It awards writers with Daesan Literary Awards, among the most prized literary awards here, as well as supporting their publications and translations. Also, it operates a series of projects training young writers and providing scholarships for them.

Shin has been the chairman of the foundation since 1993. Daesan is the pseudonym of Shin's father and the founder of Kyobo Life, Shin Yong-ho.

Among people who love literature, the foundation is highly valued for its efforts to translate quality pieces into foreign languages. So far, the foundation has supported 280 pieces of poetry, novels and other works published in foreign countries.

One of those works was The Vegetarian by Han Kang, which was translated by Deborah Smith and won the Man Booker International Prize last year.

Kyobo Bookstore is also acknowledged for its contribution to the progress of reading infrastructure. Some 500 million people visit Kyobo Bookstores across the country. It also holds poetry readings, meetings with authors and other events that allow the public to expand its interaction with literature.

The insurer said that Shin has been expressing his affection for poetry and has been using its power during his business activities.

"Shin usually quotes pieces of poems in his speeches to employees, in the belief that the poetic metaphor is more effective in delivering a message than lengthy words," said a Kyobo Life official.