The Ho-Am Foundation held a presentation ceremony for the 2013 Ho-Am Prizes at Hoam Art Hall in Seoul on Friday.

About 550 figures from the government, judiciary, academia and news media attended the event.

The ceremony began with opening remarks by Lee Hyun-jae, chairman of the foundation and chairman of the Ho-Am Prize Committee, followed by presentations and a congratulatory speech. 

“We need to find and develop creative and enterprising talent to blaze a trail in an age of unlimited competition,” said Prime Minister Chung Hong-won in a congratulatory address.

“It is truly meaningful for the Ho-Am Foundation to find out and award contributors to social development and the national happiness.”

There were six recipients: Harold Y. Hwang, 43, a professor at Stanford University, for science; Kim Sang-tae, 55, distinguished professor at Purdue University for engineering; Lee Se-jin, 55, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, for medicine; novelist Shin Kyoung-sook, 50, for arts; and Rhee Chong-man, 57, and Kim Hyun-sook, 54, a couple running the Only Grace Social Welfare Foundation, for community service.

Each recipient was awarded a diploma, a pure gold medal and prize money of 300 million won ($260,000).

The Ho-Am Prize was established by chairman Lee in 1990 in the memory of his late father and Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull, who attached great importance to talented people and the public good.

The number of prize winners, including the 2013 recipients, is 117.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)