Park Jae Kyu, president of Kyungnam University, donated the entire prize money to the university scholarship after winning a special award at the “30th Sanhaewon Culture Awards” on March 4, 2021. The Sanhaewon Cultural Award is an annual prize that is organized by Buddhists in Changwon to develop local culture and motivate journalists in Changwon. It has been awarded to many people who have been devoted to local culture, arts, journalism, and local development since 1991. President Park was awarded for his contribution in education, local development, and to the peace of Korean Peninsula. He played an important role in organizing the first Inter-Korean summit as Unification Minister in the Kim Dae-Jung government. He is a political scientist who has devoted himself to developing Inter-Korean relationships and the unification education. He also established The Institute for Far Eastern Studies, served as the president of University of North Korean Studies, chairman of the Korean University Presidents Association, and 26th Minister of Unification. Meanwhile, the Sanhaewon Cultural Award has been given to other notable figures: the literature prize was awarded to Hong Jin-ki, a consultant of Korean Writers Association; the art prize was awarded to Kim Sungsoo, the director of Ottchil Art Museum; the journalist prize was awarded to Jung Dae-kyun, the representative of MBC Gyeongnam.
