Former journalist Kwon Hyuk-seung donates 100 million won to Gangneung

Former journalist Kwon Hyuk-seung visits Gangneung City Mayor Choi Myung-hee in his office to donate 100 million won to the Gangneung Culture Foundation, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Kwon Hyuk-seung

By You Soo-sun

Former journalist and writer Kwon Hyuk-seung, 85, donated 100 million won ($89,246) to Gangneung Culture & Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization, at the Gangneung mayor’s office, Wednesday. The donor is the chairman of Baekgyo Hyo Cultural Promotion Center, an association established to promote Korea’s traditional virtues.

The donation was made in the form of the Baekgyo Cultural Award now in its eighth year. “I started the award to promote the value of hyo, the virtue of giving respect for one’s parents,” Kwon explained. Baekgyo is his pseudonym which originates from his home town in Gangneung City.

His recent book, “Globalization of Filial Piety,” is also about the virtue of hyo, or filial piety. The book was published in English a year earlier and was donated to 130 public and school libraries in 65 countries. He is also planning to hold a poetry-reading recital on the topic of parents at Gangneung Culture & Arts Foundation Theater, on July 1.

Kwon began his contribution to the city 10 years ago, when he helped to create Samojung Park in a small neighborhood of Gangneung.

Kwon spent most of his career in journalism, including stints at the Hankook Ilbo as a managing editor and at Seoul Economic Daily as publisher-president.