Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo on Wednesday was awarded the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, which is given to active patrons of the arts, the group said in a press release.

“History may not remember a company, but the culture and arts the firm sponsored stay in the public’s memory for a long time,” said Lutz Bethge, Montblanc International CEO, at a press conference to honor Park at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul.

“In the cruel world of business, it is art and creativity that allows us to think out of the box. This also links a road to a business success,” he said, praising Park’s legacy in arts. 

Park leads the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, which nurtures youths with musical talent to branch out into the international scene. Noted musicians, including pianists Son Yeol-eum, Kim Sun-wook and Cho Sung-jin, received mentorships from famous pianists and professors, while renting high-quality musical instruments through the foundation’s sponsor programs.

Kumho Asiana also runs several art galleries and concert halls nationwide, on top of the noted Asiana International Short Film Festival.

Park’s older brother, the late former group chairman Park Sung-yong, received the same award in 2004 for his contribution to the arts scene. The Park brothers are the first sibling alumni.

“It is such an honor to follow in the footsteps of my older brother and get recognition for that. I will strive to preserve our tradition of becoming guardians of the arts. This is what my predecessors wanted,” Park said.

Park, one of 12 awardees this year alongside Japanese star conductor Seiji Ozawa and U.S. film producer Jane Rosenthal, received a specially made Patron of Art Edition pen and 15,000 euros ($19,000) from the German accessory maker. Park said he will donate the prize money to the Tongyeong International Music Foundation, which holds the annual Tongyeong International Music Festival.

“I hope the donation could add passion to the festival,” he said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)