Awarding the 'LG Hero Award' to the Late Fire Sergeant Kim Gukhwan and Others Who Died in the Line of Duty Saving Lives

Mr. Choi Bong-seok and Mr. Son Seong-mo Save Over 40 Residents by Launching Boat
Sergeant Park Seung-hyun, Mr. Moon Myeong-geun, and Other Heroes at the Heavy Rain Scene

From the left, the late Fire Sergeant Kim Guk-hwan (29), Son Seong-mo (37), and Choi Bong-seok (43).

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 3rd that it will award the LG Hero Award to the late Fire Sergeant Kim Guk-hwan (29), who died in the line of duty while rescuing people from a flooded valley caused by heavy rain.

In addition, the foundation plans to present the LG Hero Award to five citizens, including Choi Bong-seok (43) and Son Seong-mo (37), who rescued about 40 residents by launching a fishing boat when a village was submerged due to a collapsed embankment, as well as those who saved neighbors’ lives at heavy rain sites, rivers, and the sea.

Fire Sergeant Kim Guk-hwan, who belonged to the Suncheon Fire Station, was the first to respond on the afternoon of July 31 to a report of a vacationer drowning in the Piatgol Valley of Jirisan in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do. At that time, the Piatgol Valley was experiencing strong currents due to heavy rain that had continued for over a week in the Gurye-gun area, but Sergeant Kim, wearing safety gear, jumped into the valley without hesitation to carry out the rescue.

During the desperate rescue operation, the safety rope tied to Sergeant Kim’s body snapped, and he was swept away by the rapid current. He was rescued after 18 minutes and transferred to a nearby hospital but passed away. The late sergeant, who was appointed as a 119 rescue worker in 2017, was known for his outstanding performance, having responded to 1,480 accident scenes and rescued 540 people over three years, adding to the sorrow.

Choi Bong-seok and Son Seong-mo rescued about 40 isolated residents using a fishing boat when the embankment of Seosicheon in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, collapsed due to heavy rain on the morning of the 8th of last month, submerging the village.

Despite the dangerous situation where electrified objects were drifting and there was a risk of electric shock, Choi and Son moved around the village, which had turned into a river with water over 2 meters deep, rescuing about 40 residents, including children and elderly people with mobility difficulties. After more than six hours of rescue operations, Son’s fishing boat was damaged, and their homes and factories were all flooded, but they calmly said, “We just did what was natural.”

Corporal Park Seung-hyun (24) of the Army’s 102nd Armored Brigade rescued a person swept away by a rapid current in a river in Geundeok-myeon, Samcheok-si, on the 13th of last month. While on leave, Corporal Park noticed two vacationers drifting in the rapid current shouting for help, jumped into about 3 meters deep water with his bare body, rescued them, and handed them over to the arriving 119 paramedics.

Moon Myeong-geun (51) rescued an elementary school student in danger of drowning in Dongcheon River, Buk-gu, Ulsan Metropolitan City, on the 19th of last month. Passing nearby, Moon witnessed two children playing in the water struggling in a deep area, reported to 119, and immediately jumped into the river. He first rescued one child losing consciousness and performed CPR, and the 119 rescue team arriving on site rescued the other child, with both children reported to be out of danger.

Lastly, Captain Kim Gyun-sam (47) rescued a driver from a vehicle that fell into the sea at Bieung Port, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, in the early morning of the 20th of last month. Returning from fishing, Captain Kim witnessed the vehicle falling into the sea, turned on a large searchlight, and jumped into the dark sea with his bare body to rescue the driver inside the submerged vehicle.

An official from LG Welfare Foundation said, “This is to remember together the strong sense of duty and spirit of sacrifice of the late Fire Sergeant Kim Guk-hwan, who fought against the rapid current to save lives, and to encourage the courageous actions of citizens who rushed to rescue neighbors at heavy rain sites, rivers, and the sea.”

The ‘LG Hero Award’ was established in 2015 reflecting the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo’s will that “the company repays its social responsibility to heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice.” Since CEO Koo Kwang-mo’s inauguration, the scope of recipients has expanded to include citizens who have set examples in society through good deeds and volunteer work. Including the six awardees this time, a total of 131 people have received the LG Hero Award to date.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.