Gangwon Province has decided to give the grand prize in this year’s Demilitarized Zone Peace Awards to a German non-governmental organization, the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Awards for the educational cooperation and academic categories will go to Venerable Pomnyun, who heads the Peace Foundation, and to Professor Kim Jae-han of Hallym University.

Gangwon recognized the German NGO for its contributions to Northeast Asia through projects aimed at inter-Korean reconciliation and the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

Established in 1967, the Hanns Seidel Foundation has operated some 80 peace projects in over 50 developing countries.

The Venerable Pomnyun has been leading environmental protection efforts in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while Kim Jae-han has conducted research about the DMZ in relation to peace on the Korean Peninsula.