Hana Financial Group awards artists with developmental disabilities

Hana Financial Group hosted an award ceremony for artists with developmental disabilities to celebrate the Day of People with Disability in Korea.

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, center, poses for a photo with winners of grand prizes for this year's Hana Artverse, an art competition for artists with developmental disabilities. [HANA FINANCIAL GROUP]

Hana Financial Group hosted an award ceremony for artists with developmental disabilities to celebrate the Day of People with Disability in Korea.

The award ceremony was held on Friday at Hana Bank's head office in central Seoul, a day before Korea's Day of People with Disability.

The art competition, Hana Artverse, marked its third edition this year. A total of 584 artists with disabilities participated in the competition, which was open from Dec. 4 last year to Feb. 11.

Thirty awardees were selected in the children and teens and adults categories.

In particular, three artists who won in the adult category will have an opportunity to join a 6-month internship program at Springshine, a social enterprise that aims to foster artists with disabilities.

“It is important to acknowledge disabilities not as grounds for discrimination, but simply as differences among individuals,” said Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo.

The winning artworks will be displayed at Hana Financial Group’s art gallery in central Seoul from May 1 to 31.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]