[Digital Today reporter Ji-young Lee] Hana Financial Group Sharing Foundation selected and honoured individuals and groups that have supported multicultural families and marriage migrants in settling in, and have continued related activities.

Hana Financial Group Sharing Foundation said on July 23 it held the 18th Hana Multicultural Family Awards ceremony on July 22 at Hana Financial Group’s Myeong-dong building in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Hana Multicultural Family Awards is a nationwide awards programme launched in 2009 to identify exemplary marriage migrants and individuals and groups that have supported multicultural families. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family officially sponsors it, and this year marked the 18th edition.

The awards consist of three categories: the Happy Family Award, the Hope Family Award and the Happy Support Award. The grand prize, the minister’s award from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, went to Park Ji-hye, a Vietnam-born marriage migrant.

Attendees included Jeong Gu-chang (정구창), vice minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Lee Seung-yeol (이승열), chairman of the Hana Financial Group Sharing Foundation, Nguyen Thi Thai Binh, Vietnam’s deputy ambassador to South Korea, and Rustam Isayev, Uzbekistan’s deputy ambassador to South Korea. Kim In-soon (김인순), chairman of Haemil School, led a congratulatory performance.

Jeong said, "Beyond supporting marriage migrants’ early settlement, we will support capacity development so they can use their expertise to participate in society." He added, "We will also strengthen the support system so children and teenagers with a migration background can grow into future talent."

Lee said, "We support marriage migrants who build families and live as members of society." He added, "We will work to create an environment where people can understand each other’s differences and grow together."