Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation names 2026 Samsung Happiness Award winners
In short
The Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation (삼성생명공익재단) announced the winners of the 2026 Samsung Happiness Award on 21 October. Yonsei University professor Seo Eun-kook (서은국), Songpa Safety Experience Education Center director Ko Seok (고석), the social enterprise Otista (오티스타) and five young people were chosen. The ceremony is set for 30 November at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul.
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The Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation announced the winners of the 2026 Samsung Happiness Award on 21 October. The award is given each year in four categories: research and creativity, society and safety, integration and inclusion, and youth. Outlets describe it as honouring people who have contributed to public happiness and the public interest, and model young people. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
In the research and creativity category, the winner is Seo Eun-kook, 60, a professor at Yonsei University and a happiness psychologist. Outlets say he has stressed that happiness depends more on everyday pleasant experiences and positive exchanges with people than on material affluence. Seoul Economic Daily, Hankook Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun say he has published about 100 papers and books. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
The society and safety winner is Ko Seok, 63, director of the Songpa Safety Experience Education Center. Yonhap and Newsis say he is a parent of a victim of the 1999 Sea Land fire and co-founded the Korea Children's Safety Foundation with bereaved families. Seoul Economic Daily, Hankook Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo give the year of the foundation's founding as 2000, and Seoul Economic Daily and Dong-A Ilbo say he has led the Songpa centre since 2001. Dong-A Ilbo reports that he lost his twin children in the fire. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
The integration and inclusion award went to Otista, a social enterprise founded in 2012 that offers autistic young people with artistic talent the chance to work as professional designers. Seoul Economic Daily, Hankook Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo say it develops design products. Korea Economic Daily names Otista's representative, Lee So-hyun, as the winner, while other outlets name the enterprise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 ]
Five students won the youth category: Kwon Yeong-ju (권영주), 23, of Soongsil University; Jeong Yun-seo (정윤서), 22, of the Catholic University of Korea; An Ye-eun (안예은), 20, of Seoul Dasom Tourism High School; Lee Yu-bin (이유빈), 18, of Seogwipo Industrial Science High School; and Kim Tae-yang (김태양), 17, of Wando High School. Seoul Economic Daily and Dong-A Ilbo say Kim set a national student weightlifting record. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
The winners were chosen from candidates recommended by institutions, organisations and experts, by a panel of scholars and experts that reviewed them for three months. Asia Economy, Newsis and Seoul Economic Daily say the review included on-site inspections. Each category winner receives a plaque and 50 million won, and each youth winner receives 10 million won. The ceremony is scheduled for 30 November at the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and Asia Economy and Newsis give the time as 3 p.m. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The documents give little basis for wider significance beyond the announcement itself. Outlets describe the award as honouring people and groups who contribute to public happiness and the public interest, and as recognising model young people.
Key facts
- The Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation announced the 2026 Samsung Happiness Award winners on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 11 ]
- The award has four categories: research and creativity, society and safety, integration and inclusion, and youth. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 ]
- Seo Eun-kook (60), a Yonsei University professor and happiness psychologist, won the research and creativity category. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Ko Seok (63), director of the Songpa Safety Experience Education Center, won the society and safety category. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The social enterprise Otista, founded in 2012, won the integration and inclusion category. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Five students won the youth category: Kwon Yeong-ju, Jeong Yun-seo, An Ye-eun, Lee Yu-bin and Kim Tae-yang. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Each category winner receives a plaque and 50 million won; each youth winner receives 10 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- The ceremony is scheduled for 30 November at the Leeum Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The foundation announced on 21 October that Seo Eun-kook, Ko Seok and Otista won the research and creativity, society and safety, and integration and inclusion categories respectively. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 11 ]
- Five students won the youth category, with ages given as 23, 22, 20, 18 and 17. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Winners were chosen from candidates recommended by institutions, organisations and experts, and judged by a panel of scholars and experts over about three months. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- Prizes are 50 million won per category and 10 million won per youth winner. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]
- The ceremony is on 30 November at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- How many winners there were. Asia Economy and Korea Economic Daily say eight winners, which matches the three named winners plus five youth winners, while Dong-A Ilbo says eight people and one organisation.
- Who received the integration and inclusion award. Most outlets name the social enterprise Otista, while Korea Economic Daily says the winner is Otista's representative, Lee So-hyun (이소현).
- The name of one youth winner. A photo caption in Hankook Ilbo gives Lee Yu-jin (이유진) for the Seogwipo Industrial Science High School student, while other outlets give Lee Yu-bin (이유빈).
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the 2026 Samsung Happiness Award winners announced by the foundation on 21 October. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes profiles of the winners, including the foundation's selection process. [ 4 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports that Ko Seok lost his twin children in the 1999 Sea Land fire. [ 7 ]