The ceremony, which took place at Polish Ambassador’s residence in Seoul, gathered altogether over 40 Korean and foreign guests including politicians, representatives from the central and local administration, worlds of culture, media, business, as well as members of non-governmental and international organizations, including former Minister of Unification Kim Suk-woo and the Head of the UN Office for North Korea in Seoul Ms. Signe Poulsen.
Composer Ryu has received the Medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis”, a decoration awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland to persons for their distinguished contributions to the Polish culture and the people's heritage. Ryu is one of the most prominent composers of his generation and very efficient manager at the same time.
He is a graduate of Academy of Music in Cracow, where received master of arts degree under renown Polish composer Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki and continued education until the doctorate level. His contributions to the promotion of Polish culture in South Korea includes among others a music festival organized in Seoul in 2013 on the occasion of Penderecki’s 80th birthday. As an artistic director of many Korean festivals Mr. RyuJea-joon has been also actively engaged in popularizing compositions of other Polish artists to the music lovers in Korea.
Ms. Joanna Hosaniak is a Polish citizen and a deputy director general at the one of the oldest and most respected non-governmental organization in South Korea dealing with the problem of human rights in DPRK. She has been awarded with the “Bene Merito”, literal meaning “Great Merits/Contribution”, a honorary distinction conferred by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland upon the Polish citizens and foreign nationals in recognition of their merits in promoting Poland abroad. 
Among those who have been honoured with the distinction are such prominent names as RyszardKaczorowski (the last President of Poland in exile), WładysławBartoszewski (Polish politician, social activist, journalist, writer and historian, former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner and a World War II resistance fighter), Jan Krzysztof Bielecki (former Polish Prime Minister), Karel Schwarzenberg (former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic) and Norman Davis (a renown British historian).
Ambassador and Mrs. Majka of Poland in Seoul (second from right and right) congratulate Korean Composer RyuJea-joon and Polish Human Rights Activist Ms. Joanna Hosaniak(right and second from right) on the occasion of conferment of a Polish Civilian Award on them at the Ambassador’s residence in Seoul.
Ryuand Ms. Hosaniak(left and center) are all smiles as they are congratulated on by Ambassador Majka of Poland.
Ambassador and Mrs. Majka of Poland in Seoul (9th and 10th from left, rear row) pose with the winners of the Polish Civilian Award (7th and 8th in the same row) with other guests.