A giant of peace and education, Dr. Hong Il-sik, the inaugural chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, left our side at the age of 87 on September 11, 2023.
The former president of Korea University, Hong Il-sik, played a leading role in selecting the laureates from the 1st to the 4th Sunhak Peace Prize since he took the role of the inaugural chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee in 2014. Under the leadership of Chairman Hong Il-sik, nine world-renowned figures including former President of Kiribati Anote Tong, Dr. Modadugu Gupta, Dr. Gino Strada, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Ms. Waris Dirie, President Macky Sall of Senegal, former President Munib A. Younan of the Lutheran World Federation, and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were selected as the laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize.
We express deep respect and gratitude for Chairman Hong Il-sik's efforts and dedication in making the Sunhak Peace Prize an important platform for world peace and harmony. May he rest in peace.
