LOTTE Foundation for Arts receives Presidential Commendation at Mecenat Awards for supporting classical music and contemporary art

[Financial News] LOTTE Foundation for Arts has received a Presidential Commendation at the Mecenat Awards for expanding opportunities to enjoy culture and the arts by operating a classical concert hall and an art museum. Since the foundation was established, Lotte Group has invested about 200 billion won in supporting culture and the arts.
According to LOTTE Foundation for Arts on the 11th, it won the Grand Prize at the 27th Mecenat Awards at the ‘2026 Korea Mecenat Conference,’ held on the 10th at The Westin Josun Seoul in Jung District, Seoul. It was recognized for its contributions, including operating Lotte Concert Hall and Lotte Museum of Art, supporting artists, and expanding access to culture for underserved groups.
The Mecenat Awards, presented by the Korea Mecenat Association since 1999, honor companies and businesspeople who have contributed to the development of culture and the arts in Korea. The judging criteria include establishing and operating cultural facilities, providing funding and personnel to arts organizations, and developing professionals and running scholarship programs.
The foundation was established in October 2015. Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin contributed 10 billion won from his personal fortune, while Lotte Property & Development, Lotte Hotel, and Lotte Shopping contributed a further 10 billion won, bringing the total endowment to 20 billion won.
Opened in 2016, Lotte Concert Hall marks its 10th anniversary this year. It is a venue dedicated to classical music in Seoul’s Songpa District. It features a ‘vineyard’-style layout, with seats surrounding the stage, and a pipe organ. The hall has 2,036 seats, including 22 seats for people with disabilities.
Since opening, the hall has hosted a cumulative total of 3,000 performances, drawing about 3 million audience members. It has presented performances in Korea by international orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), and has spotlighted the musical worlds of Korean performers through its resident musician program, ‘In-House Artist.’ This year, pianist Seong-Jin Cho took part as a resident musician.
Lotte Museum of Art, which opened in 2018, has welcomed a cumulative total of about 800,000 visitors. It has held special exhibitions by international artists such as Dan Flavin and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as Korean artists including Kim Jung-gi and Yoon Hyup. It has also offered visitor programs such as ‘Museum Night,’ which combines exhibitions and performances, and ‘Special Docent,’ featuring commentary on artworks.
Since 2024, the foundation has pursued its social contribution programs in three areas: arts support for people with disabilities, support for creative arts, and support for community arts. It provides performance fees and venues to the Beautiful Mind Orchestra, which brings together musicians with and without disabilities, and has also helped cover costs such as those for regular concerts by Tool Music’s troupe of artists with disabilities. In the visual arts, it has supported Disabled People and Friends from the Five Continents, helping promote exhibitions by artists with disabilities and international exchanges.
The foundation has identified emerging performers through the Korea International Organ Competition and donated scholarship funds to Korea National University of Arts to support students’ creative work. In partnership with ChildFund Korea, it provides learning expenses so children from low-income families can study music and art.
Kim Seong-hwan, chairman of LOTTE Foundation for Arts, said, “I believe that hearing the sound of an orchestra for the first time in a concert hall and spending a long time in front of a work in an exhibition hall can make a person’s everyday life a little richer,” adding, “I will fulfill my role as a steadfast partner so that our arts ecosystem can take root more healthily.”
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter