Free Medical Treatment for Vulnerable Groups for 48 Years... Professor Ko Young-cho of Konkuk University Awarded LG Hero Award

Award Presented to Nopansun, Who Donated Lifetime Savings from Housekeeping and Restaurant Work

Professor Ko Young-cho, a neurosurgery professor at Konkuk University, selected as the LG Humanitarian Award recipient. Since joining the Catholic Student Association in 1973, Professor Ko has been visiting medically underserved areas such as shantytowns on the outskirts of Seoul every week, providing free medical treatment to people who cannot afford to go to the hospital due to financial difficulties.
[Photo by LG Group]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 27th that it will award the LG Hero Award to Professor Ko Young-cho (68), a neurosurgery professor at Konkuk University who has volunteered free medical services for 48 years, and to No Pan-soon (81), who donated her entire lifetime savings earned from housework, restaurant work, and other jobs to neighbors in greater need than herself.

Professor Ko began volunteering medical services in 1973 while attending medical school by joining the Catholic Student Association and visiting medically underserved areas such as shantytowns on the outskirts of Seoul every week to treat people who could not afford hospital care. Since then, he has continued free medical volunteer work for 48 years. Since 1977, he has alternated visiting free clinics 'Jeonjin Sang Clinic' and 'Joseph Clinic' in Geumcheon-gu and Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, as well as the 'Raphael Clinic' for foreign workers in Seongbuk-gu, more than twice a week, continuing his medical volunteer work. Over 15,000 patients have received free treatment from Professor Ko over 48 years.

Professor Ko especially utilizes his specialty to diagnose brain tumors and pituitary tumors and strives to treat severe illnesses that are difficult for underprivileged neighbors to receive treatment for.

Professor Ko said, "Some days, after several hours of difficult surgery at the hospital and driving for over an hour to the volunteer site, I feel exhausted, but once I arrive and work happily with the volunteers and meet patients for treatment, the fatigue disappears as if washed away. This sense of fulfillment and joy has been the driving force that has voluntarily led me here for over 40 years."

Noh Pan-soon, selected as the recipient of the LG Humanitarian Award. Living in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, Noh donated her entire life savings of 430 million won, earned through work as a housekeeper, restaurant worker, and bathhouse operator, to neighbors in need within the local community.
[Photo by LG Group]

No Pan-soon, who lives in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, donated her entire lifetime savings of 430 million KRW, earned through housework, restaurant work, and running a bathhouse, to neighbors in need in the local community. In 2019 and 2020, she donated 330 million KRW to the Gunsan University Development Support Foundation for financially struggling university students, and in April of this year, she generously donated 100 million KRW to the Jeonbuk Community Chest of Korea in Gunsan City for lonely and needy neighbors.

She still lives in a small one-room rented apartment in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, and has lunch with free meal boxes provided by the senior citizens' center. Ms. No said, "I have lived a lonely and hard life, so it pains me deeply to see people in difficulty, but I am happy to be able to do something for them. I only need a room to rest my body, so I will spend the rest of my life finding ways to help them more."

Meanwhile, the LG Hero Award was established in 2015 reflecting the late Koo Bon-moo, former chairman of LG Group’s will to 'reward heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice as part of the company’s social responsibility.' After Koo Kwang-mo became chairman of LG Group in 2018, the award scope was expanded to include ordinary citizens who quietly serve and perform good deeds for others throughout society. To date, a total of 147 people have received the LG Hero Award.

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