Shin Kyung-sook Donates Award Money to Charity

Novelist Shin Kyung-sook has donated half of the W50 million prize money she received from Pernod Ricard Korea to a charity foundation (US$1=W1,130).

Shin picked up the "Mark of Respect" award, which the spirits producer has since 2005 handed out to eminent figures in the fields of culture and the arts each year.

In keeping with tradition, where the winners donate part of their prize money to charities of their choice, Shin pledged W25 million to the Purme Foundation, which is dedicated to building rehabilitation hospitals for patients with disabilities.

"I decided to make a donation to the Purme Foundation, which has close ties with late novelist Park Wan-seo, whom I deeply respect," she said, adding that the money will be used to construct a hospital for children in Seoul.