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The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of South Korea presented an award to Ilchi Lee in honor of his contribution to the creation and development of traditional Korean philosophy and culture, in Seoul, December 27, 2007.
As the founder of the Traditional Korean Cultural Institute (Kook Hak Won), Ilchi Lee and his staff have worked to research, display and disseminate the principles that guided the lives of the people of Kochosun (2,300 B.C.-238 B.C.). This enlightened Korean civilization was headed by a lineage of 47 Dahn Goon. They cared for the physical and spiritual needs of their citizens, who lived in harmony with Nature and the Cosmos. Recognizing the oneness of all people and Heaven, Earth and Humanity, they created a culture of spiritually awaken people, aware of their holiness and wanting to be of benefit for the whole world.
As national leaders, the Dahn Goon resembled the model that Plato of ancient Athens had advocated, namely that philosopher-kings should run the government. The values of this society were based on the core belief that people should benefit others. This philosophy has been the basis of Ilchi Lee’s vision of health, happiness and peace for everyone in the world, and for the love of and commitment to humanity and the Earth.
Korea is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world, with more than 5,000 years of history. The Korean culture has continued many of the traditions that came into their culture generations ago. These distinctive aspects are what make Korea what it is today.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) of South Korea is a central government agency, with a staff of 1,900, which is responsible for tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports. The current Minister of Culture and Tourism is Kim Jong-min. The three principal goals of MCT include the following: (1) Educate Korean people to be more cultural and creative citizens. (2) Create a leisurely and unique society in which leisure and work are in harmony. (3) Create a dynamic cultural nation that represents various local cultures.
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