Kyobo Life Insurance chief awarded Legion of Honor

Shin Chang-jae, Kyobo Life Insurance chairman and chief executive, will be awarded the French Legion of Honor Thursday for his contribution to fostering cultural exchanges between France and South Korea, the firm said Wednesday.

Shin will receive the Chevalier merit from French ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone at French Embassy in Seoul.

Shin, 64, was recognized for establishing the Daesan Foundation in 1992 and serving as a chairman of the nonprofit organization, designed to translate and promote works of Korean literature in various languages, including French.

With the support of the foundation, “The Reverse Side of Life” written by Korean writer Lee Seung-u was translated into French in 2000 and nominated for Prix Femina the same year.

The foundation also played a critical role in translating and promoting French works in Korea by writers such as Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Samuel Beckett, among others, according to the insurer.

The Legion of Honor was founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and has since been the highest French order of civil and military merits.

By Son Ji-hyoung 
(consnow@heraldcorp.com)