Pernod Ricard Korea has donated approximately 2.6 billion KRW in scholarships to 695 people for 22 years through its ‘Pernod Ricard Korea Gugak Scholarship Program’ to foster the Gugak performers.
Pernod Ricard Korea donated 100 million KRW in scholarships to 54 Gugak talented students at the National Gugak School to foster performers who will lead the next generation of Korean traditional arts and music culture.
Frantz Hotton, CEO of Pernod Ricard Korea, congratulated scholarship recipients and the ones who will drive the future of Gugak at the graduation ceremony of the National Gugak High School held on Feb. 9.
The ‘Pernod Ricard Korea Gugak Scholarship Program’, which marks its 22nd anniversary this year, is part of company’s commitment to sponsor arts inheriting its founder Paul Ricard’s philosophy that "Art is in our DNA." Through the program, Pernod Ricard Korea is striving to develop and popularize traditional culture by boosting the foundation for the development of traditional Korean arts and supporting the development of next generation of Gugak talents.
The company has offered scholarships to 695 people at the National Gugak Schools, totaling approximately 2.6 billion KRW to date. In addition, some of the funding has been used to support the ‘Mongmyeok Arts Festival’, which is the representative art festival of the National Gugak High School. It is to provide young Gugak talents with more opportunities to appear on stages so help them grow into high-quality Gugak performers. Thanks to the support, the Pernod Ricard Korea Gugak Scholarship recipients are now actively performing their work in leading Gugak institutions such as the National Gugak Center and the National Orchestra of Korea.
Frantz Hotton, CEO of Pernod Ricard Korea, noted, "K-culture has now become a culture enjoyed by people around the world based on the uniqueness and originality of Korean culture, and I think Gugak plays a big role at its foundation, We hope that various stages and opportunities will be created to convey the beautiful Korean Gugak through the Gugak scholarship program which we have been continuing for 22 years now.”
Meanwhile, in recognition of the company’s efforts to help develop traditional Korean arts and culture through the Gugak scholarship program and active involvement in supporting arts and culture, Pernod Ricard Korea received a commendation in 2020 and a certification as an Exemplary institution supporting culture and arts in 2020 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.