Lotte Cultural Foundation Wins Grand Prize at 2026 Mecenat Awards for Expanding Access to Culture and the Arts
Lotte Cultural Foundation Leads Arts Sponsorship Through Concert Hall and Museum Operations
Paradise Group Vice Chairwoman Choi Yoonjung Receives Mecenat Award
263 Business-Arts Partnerships Formed... 7.8 Billion Won in Support
The Lotte Cultural Foundation received the Grand Prize at the 2026 Mecenat Awards for its contribution to broadening access to culture and the arts through its operation of a classical music concert hall and an art museum.
On November 10, the Korea Mecenat Association presented the foundation with the Presidential Commendation, the Grand Prize, at the 2026 Korea Mecenat Conference held at The Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The Lotte Cultural Foundation was established in 2015 with personal funds from Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and contributions from Lotte affiliates. Since 2016, it has operated Lotte Concert Hall, a venue dedicated to classical music, and has taken the lead in popularizing classical music. Since opening, Lotte Concert Hall has hosted a cumulative total of 3,000 performances and welcomed approximately 3 million audience members. It has also supported the development of young performers through its resident artist program.
At the Lotte Museum, which opened in 2018, the foundation has presented special exhibitions featuring world-renowned masters and Korean artists. It has also continued a range of cultural and arts sponsorship activities, including hosting the Korea International Organ Competition, supporting arts organizations for people with disabilities, and providing arts education for children from low-income families.
The Mecenat Award, a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, went to Choi Yoon-jung, vice chairwoman of Paradise Group. Choi was recognized for supporting emerging artists' creative work and helping popularize contemporary art through initiatives including Paradise Art Space and Paradise Art Lab.
The Cultural Contribution Award, also a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, went to the PharmaResearch Cultural Foundation for its efforts to foster a regional culture and arts ecosystem by hosting the Gangneung International Art Festival. The Creativity Award went to Jeil Medical Corporation for supporting the transmission and global reach of traditional arts, while the Art and Business Award was jointly presented to Dong-A Pharmaceutical and the nonprofit organization Mary for their work on community-participation concerts and culture and arts education.
The event also featured a partnership ceremony bringing together businesses and arts organizations. This year, 263 business-arts organization pairs formed partnerships, with businesses providing approximately 7.8 billion won in support. Since the program began in 2006, the cumulative number of partnerships has reached 3,592, with total support amounting to approximately 136.4 billion won.
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A certification ceremony for cultural and arts sponsorship intermediary organizations and outstanding institutions, organized by the Arts Council Korea, was also held. Eight organizations, including the Gwanak Cultural Foundation and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, received new certifications.
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