- On May 30, the 13th Pony Chung Innovation Award Ceremony was held at Pony Chung Hall, IPARK Tower, Samsung-dong
- Leading changes in the culture and art world through challenges across genres
Pony Chung Foundation (President: Chul Soo Kim) named Yoo Jeong Chang, a film and musical director, as the winner of the 13th “Pony Chung Innovation Award” and held an awards ceremony at Pony Chung Hall, IPARK Tower, Samsung-dong at 5 p.m. on May 30.
The awards ceremony was held with one hundred attendees including director Yoo Jeong Chang, the award winner, Chul Soo Kim, the President of the Pony Foundation, and Mong Gyu Chung, HDC Chairman and the founder of the foundation.
Chul Soo Kim, the President of the Pony Chung Foundation, congratulated her saying, “Director Yoo Jeong Jang succeeded in making a film version of a creative musical even under the poor musical market of South Korean. Moreover, based on a comprehensive artistic perspective, she directed the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to received good acclaim from all over the world. Consequently, she suggested a new way of South Korean culture and art world”. He also explained that she was selected because “Her courage and challenge spirit that does not settle for previous success made her a good example for us living today."
Yoo Jeong Chang composed and directed many iconic musicals of South Korean performing art industry such as “Finding Jong Wook Kim”, “Oh! While You Are Sleeping”, “Brothers were Brave”, and “Days”. She has greatly contributed South Korea to securing her unique position in the original musical world by composing and directing many symbolic works. In particular, “Finding Jong Wook” was also produced as a movie of the same name (starring Yoo Gong and Soo Jeong Lim; released in 2010). The movie attracted 1.12 million viewers and became the representative and first example of “one-source multi-use” original musical. Subsequently, “Brother” (starring Dong Seok Ma and Ha Ni Lee; released in 2017), adapted version of Yoo Jeong Chang’s musical “Brothers were Brave”, attracted 1.49 million people to present the possibility of a musical-originated film. She also directed the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics based on her experiences in various genres and impressed the world by melting future-oriented messages into Korean traditions under the theme of “The Next Wave”.
Director Yoo Jeong Chang thanked the audience at the award ceremony, saying, “I thank the support and encouragement of the people around me for me to challenge across genres” and added, “I was sometimes afraid of going through unfamiliar paths and tired, but the award gives me the power to be a cornerstone for the birth of musical films in South Korea in the future.”
The Pony Chung Innovation Award was named after Pony Chung, the nickname of the late Se Yung Chung, the founder of Hyundai Motors and Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Development Company. It was constituted in 2006. The award is given to individuals or organizations that have contributed to generating positive changes in our society through innovative thinking. The 1st Pony Chung Innovation Award winner was Ki Moon Ban, who was then the UN Secretary General. Afterward, the award was also given to Yuna Kim (figure skater), Seong Jin Cho (pianist), Guk-Jong Lee (Head of Ajou University Hospital’s Trauma Center in Gyeonggi), and Father Ha Jong Kim (President of the social welfare corporation Anna House).