Warmth to Neighbors through 'Banchan Sharing'... Woo Young-soon and Lee Sang-gi Receive LG Hero Award

Woo 씨, Serving Neighbors in Daegu for 36 Years with Various Volunteer Activities... Husband Joining for 15 Years
Lee 씨, Making Side Dishes Daily for 24 Years in Siheung, Gyeonggi... Delivering to Over 50 Households
LG Expands Award Scope to General Citizens Doing Good for Neighbors and Society Since Chairman Koo Kwang-mo's Inauguration

Woo Young-soon, selected as the recipient of the LG Humanitarian Award. Since 1985, Woo has been volunteering for 36 years in Daegu, providing side dishes, free meals, disaster relief, and various other services to neighbors in need.
[Photo by LG Group]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 15th that it will award the 'LG Hero Award' to Woo Young-soon (73) and Lee Sang-gi (60), who have been volunteering for over 20 years by providing 'free side dishes' to neighbors in need.

Ms. Woo has been engaged in various volunteer activities such as sharing side dishes, free meals, and disaster relief for underprivileged neighbors in Daegu for 36 years since 1985. She prepares 100 servings of side dishes every week, four or more days, to be distributed to elderly living alone and disabled people at a local welfare center, and three to four times a month, she also prepares 350 meals at the welfare center's free meal service.

Except for two months last year when she underwent personal surgery and during the severe spread of COVID-19 throughout Daegu, she has never stopped volunteering. Her husband has also joined the side dish volunteer work for the past 15 years. Ms. Woo said, "Since I like cooking, volunteering by making side dishes was what I could do," adding, "I want to continue this activity even after I turn eighty as long as my health permits."

The other awardee, Mr. Lee, has been leading a local volunteer group called Nanumjari Cultural Community in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, and has been providing free side dishes daily to about 50 underprivileged households in the area for 24 years since 1997. Over 20,000 households in need have received his help so far. Mr. Lee starts making side dishes with volunteers from 6 a.m. every day and works for eight hours a day, including delivery.

Mr. Lee Sang-gi, selected as the LG Humanitarian Award recipient. Mr. Lee has been leading the local volunteer group Nanumjari Cultural Community in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, providing free side dishes daily to over 50 needy households in the area for 24 years since 1997. More than 20,000 households in need have received his help so far.
[Photo by LG Group]

Volunteering is a habit ingrained in him. As a Catholic, he has been volunteering at the church since childhood, and he started sharing side dishes after gaining experience serving meals to elderly living alone at the Flower Village nursing home in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, since 1985. Except for some government subsidies, all side dish sharing is supported by donations and sponsorships from volunteers, and Mr. Lee often covers additional costs out of his own pocket.

He said, "My eldest son gets upset because I spend all the allowance he gives me on making side dishes, but this is something I enjoy doing," adding, "I feel happy just seeing underprivileged neighbors not skipping meals thanks to the side dishes I make." An LG official said, "The Hero Award was given in hopes that the warm spirit of these two people, who have practiced love for their neighbors, will spread further in our society."

Meanwhile, the LG Hero Award was established in 2015 reflecting the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo's will that "the company repays social responsibility to heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice." After Koo Kwang-mo took office as LG Group Chairman in 2018, the scope of recipients was expanded to include ordinary citizens who volunteer and perform good deeds for neighbors and society in various fields. So far, a total of 142 people have received the LG Hero Award.

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