Lotte foundation backs young Korean artists with scholarships

May 22, 2026, 08:28 am

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Lotte Scholarship Foundation Chairwoman Jang Hye-sun presents scholarship certificates during the “2026 Shin Kyuk-ho Lotte Artist Independence Support Program” event held at a cultural venue in Seoul’s Jongno District on May 21. /Lotte Scholarship Foundation

Lotte Scholarship Foundation has launched expanded support for young artists pursuing careers in classical music, aiming to help talented performers establish themselves in South Korea rather than seeking opportunities abroad.

The foundation held the “2026 Shin Kyuk-ho Lotte Artist Independence Support Program” opera gala concert at a cultural venue in Seoul’s Jongno District on May 21, bringing together scholarship recipients and arts supporters.

During the event, Jang Hye-sun highlighted the difficulties faced by aspiring Korean artists, many of whom struggle to find sufficient opportunities to perform domestically and are often forced to pursue careers overseas.

“Incredibly talented artists gifted with natural ability are often unable to fully develop their potential in Korea or must seek opportunities abroad because they cannot find enough chances here,” Jang said. “I have paid close attention to this program because I wanted to ease some of those difficulties.”

She added, “Talented artists should be able to establish themselves and flourish in Korea so they can enrich our society through art,” expressing hopes of creating a virtuous cycle within the country’s arts ecosystem.

The support program was divided into three categories: support for gifted young artists, career development assistance, and independence support for emerging professionals. A total of 12 scholarship recipients specializing in classical music fields such as piano, composition and vocal performance were selected.

Scholarships totaled 60 million won ($43,000), with recipients receiving between 4 million won and 6 million won depending on the program category.

The foundation said the initiative aims to ease the financial burden faced by young artists, who often struggle with expensive lesson fees and competition preparation costs.

Park Chae-won, a soprano and recipient of the career development scholarship who performed at the gala concert, spoke about the financial challenges artists face while preparing for competitions.

“Preparing for a single competition requires significant expenses, including accompanist fees and application fees, so many of my peers hesitate to participate,” Park said. “Thanks to this scholarship, I was able to reduce my financial burden and gain valuable opportunities to challenge myself on stage and build experience.”

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