Three-time Olympic gold medalist Oh named for CICI award

South Korean gold medalist fencer Oh Sang-uk. (CICI)

South Korean Olympic fencing gold medalist Oh Sang-uk will receive the annual Korea Image Stepping Stone Award presented by the Corea Image Communication Institute in January next year.

“Oh elevated South Korea’s global profile by winning two gold medals in the men’s individual and team sabre at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” CICI, a nonprofit promoting Korea’s image abroad, said in a statement Sunday.

The Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award went to Korean American chef Edward Lee while the Korea Image Flower Stone Award went to Olympic table tennis bronze medalist Shin Yu-bin.

Edward Lee. (CICI)

“On Netflix’s ‘Culinary Class Wars,’ Edward Lee helped promote globally a creative variety of Korean food using Korean ingredients. That showed food could be used to advance philosophy and culture,” CICI said.

Shin represents the potential of South Korean table tennis in the international scene, the statement added, citing her two bronze medals in the mixed doubles and women’s team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Shin Yu-bin. (CICI)

Meanwhile, CICI said it has instituted the new Homage Award for all the interpreters who help translate Korean literature, a special recognition marking the achievement of author Han Kang -- the first-ever South Korean to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature this year.

The annual awards ceremony, in its 21st year, will take place at the InterContinental Seoul on Jan. 15, 2025. Attendees span from government officials to foreign envoys and business executives.

Previous awards recipients include actor Lee Jung-jae, figure skating champion Kim Yuna, soprano Sumi Jo and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.