Director Park Jongsu, Who Volunteered Free Medical Care and Meals for 55 Years, Receives 'LG Hero Award'

Free Medical Care for Over 30,000 People
Presented Together with Director General Jo Yeongdo

Director Park Jongsu of Sarang Restaurant (left) and Executive Director Jo Youngdo (right)

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 16th that it will award the 'LG Hero Award' to Director Park Jongsu (80), who has been volunteering free medical treatment and free meal service for 55 years, and General Manager Jo Youngdo (46), who has been managing the free meal service 'Sarangui Sikdang' without compensation for 30 years.

Director Park, who runs a dental clinic in Gwangju Metropolitan City, has been providing medical volunteer services since 1965 when he was a senior in dental school, continuing for 55 years until now at the age of 80, treating over 30,000 people free of charge.

Every Sunday, he visits medically underserved and island areas with his wife to provide medical volunteer services and sometimes brings patients to his own clinic for treatment.

While engaging in medical volunteer activities, Director Park also supported the establishment of the free meal service 'Sarangui Sikdang' in 1991, and after the death of founder Director Heo Sanghoe, he has been serving as the representative of the welfare corporation operating Sarangui Sikdang since 2018. On average, about 600 neighbors in difficult circumstances visit Sarangui Sikdang daily to have a warm meal.

Director Park said, "I believe volunteering is my destiny and mission," and plans to expand Sarangui Sikdang into a facility with a health promotion center for marginalized groups such as elderly living alone and homeless people.

Meanwhile, Director Jo Youngdo of Sarangui Sikdang started volunteering by shining shoes at government offices and opening the free meal service for the first time, and as the current general manager, he has been consistently responsible for purchasing ingredients, hygiene management, meal distribution, and operational management without compensation for 30 years.

Director Jo said, "Volunteering, which I started to repay a little for the help I received during my poor youth, has become a habit and a way of life," and added, "I will continue to volunteer without change as long as my health permits."

Director Park, General Manager Jo, and other volunteers of Sarangui Sikdang continue the will of the late founder Heo Sanghoe, who refused prolonged treatment and asked to "protect Sarangui Sikdang forever," dedicating themselves to neighbors who are struggling and marginalized, even at the expense of their own medical expenses.

Recently, due to difficulties in on-site meal service caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been preparing lunch boxes and delivering them to neighbors in need.

An official from LG Welfare Foundation said, "We decided to award the Hero Award in hopes that the community spirit and love for neighbors shown by these two people, who have spent their entire lives volunteering without overlooking neighbors in need, will spread throughout our society."

Meanwhile, the LG Hero Award was established in 2015 reflecting the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo's intention that "the company repays its social responsibility to heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice." After CEO Koo Kwang-mo took office, the scope of the award was expanded to include citizens who have set examples in society through work and volunteerism, such as the late Center Director Yoon Han-duk, who died in the line of duty while dedicating himself to the development of emergency medical services in Korea.

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