'POSCO Heroes' Selects 10 Citizens, Nurses, and Medical Volunteers

Supporting the Education of Heroes Who Sacrificed Themselves and Their Children

Civilians, Nurses, and Medical Volunteers Dedicated to Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] The POSCO Cheongam Foundation (Chairman Kim Seonwook) has selected 10 citizens, nurses, and medical volunteers who devoted themselves to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the local community with a strong sense of duty and sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic as POSCO Heroes, awarding them plaques and scholarships.

The award ceremony held on the 13th at the POSCO Center in Seoul was attended by medical volunteer Han Sunwook, President Shin Gyeongrim of the Korean Nurses Association, and Chairman Kim Seonwook of the POSCO Cheongam Foundation, while nine heroes residing in provinces participated online.

The POSCO Heroes, who have been fighting on the front lines of COVID-19 prevention for over two years with exceptional dedication and a spirit of service, include ▲Kim Hyangsuk (Director of Namhae-gun Health Clinic, Gyeongnam), ▲Seo Jeongsuk (Head Nurse at Anseong Hospital, Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center), ▲Oh Seonok (Head of Infectious Disease Response Team, Seo-gu Public Health Center, Incheon), △Yoon Eunjeong (Nurse at Yeongju Red Cross Hospital), ▲Lee Youngmi (Chairwoman of the Women’s Association, Boseong-gun, Jeonnam), ▲Jeon Seungwon (Chairman of Saemaeul Leaders Gangnam-dong Council, Gangneung), △Jo Hyunah (Nursing Officer at Buk-gu Office, Gwangju), ▲Choi Mijeong (Care Worker, Okcheon-gun, Chungbuk), ▲Han Sunwook (Medical Volunteer in Seoul), and ▲Hwang Hyangsuk (Public Employee at Dong-gu Public Health Center, Ulsan) were finally selected through recommendations from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korean Nurses Association, followed by foundation screening.

Kim Hyangsuk, who has worked as a health care worker for 33 years, is currently serving as the director of the Namhae-gun Health Clinic. During the COVID-19 outbreak last year, she was dispatched to the Namhae-gun Public Health Center to support efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and after work, she returned to her original clinic to devote her nights to caring for the health of local residents, including village elders, which was highly recognized.

Seo Jeongsuk, head nurse at Anseong Hospital of Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center, contributed to the recovery of infected patients on the front lines of the severe patient ward, even giving up holidays to respond to COVID-19. She was especially recognized for setting a good example by personally providing blankets and clothes to patients who were self-isolating without caregivers or had no family support, ensuring they did not face difficulties after discharge.

Oh Seonok, head of the Infectious Disease Response Team at Seo-gu Public Health Center in Incheon, led the operation of the local COVID-19 comprehensive situation room, maintaining a 24-hour emergency system. She promptly conducted basic epidemiological investigations, patient bed assignments, and transfers upon confirmed cases. Additionally, in response to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, she designated and operated respiratory clinics at five medical institutions in the district, greatly contributing to protecting medical staff from COVID-19.

Yoon Eunjeong, a nurse at Yeongju Red Cross Hospital, lived apart from her family in the hospital dormitory to prevent infection last year. When a large-scale infection occurred at the hospital, she worked tirelessly to cover for infected nurses. Despite heavy workloads, she was unable to attend her eldest son’s major surgery and her second son’s military enlistment farewell with her family, demonstrating dedication as a medical professional and inspiring those around her.

Lee Youngmi, chairwoman of the Women’s Association in Boseong-gun, Jeonnam, has organized a “Mask Volunteer Corps” since last year when nationwide mask shortages occurred due to COVID-19. They have produced about 40,000 masks and distributed them to vulnerable groups and foreign workers in the region. Notably, she distributed one cloth mask and five filters per resident, significantly contributing to preventing COVID-19 spread during a time when purchasing health masks was difficult.

Jeon Seungwon, chairman of the Saemaeul Leaders Gangnam-dong Council in Gangneung, has conducted disinfection activities twice a week at multi-use facilities such as senior centers, welfare facilities, and sports facilities since the COVID-19 outbreak. He has also delivered about 8,000 masks and daily necessities to low-income families facing hardships, actively leading efforts to protect Gangneung from COVID-19.

Jo Hyunah, a nursing officer at Buk-gu Office in Gwangju and a former nurse, handled an average of about 200 hours of overtime monthly, working as a tester at screening clinics, epidemiological investigator, field investigator, monitoring staff, and administrative officer. Despite her health deteriorating due to excessive workload, she was highly praised for her utmost dedication to preventing infectious diseases in the community with the dual heavy responsibility of being both a medical professional and a public official.

Choi Mijeong, a life guidance worker at the Senior and Disabled Welfare Center in Okcheon-gun, Chungbuk, produced 4,500 masks and about 3,000 mask necklaces, distributing them to vulnerable groups and children and adolescents. She regularly supported disinfection volunteer activities at local businesses, schools, government offices, and religious institutions, and took the lead in helping farms with ginseng and soybean harvesting amid labor shortages caused by COVID-19, which was highly appreciated.

Han Sunwook, a nurse-turned-medical volunteer, volunteered at screening clinics in Seoul where nurses were needed during the COVID-19 spread, fulfilling the role of a nurse. He also practiced thriftiness by thoroughly separating recyclable disposable items and infectious waste even in difficult working conditions. After retiring in 2009 due to injury while working as a nurse, Han has continued volunteering in challenging medical environments as a medical volunteer.

Hwang Hyangsuk, a public employee at Dong-gu Public Health Center in Ulsan, completed the computerized registration of over 53,000 testees at the COVID-19 screening clinic, contributing to smooth testing processes and management of testee status. She also contributed to disaster prevention by supporting natural disaster preparedness at the screening clinic during heatwaves, cold snaps, and heavy rains, and took the lead in protecting residents’ health by actively supporting mobile screening clinics when confirmed cases occurred in schools.

The POSCO Heroes Fellowship is a program that supports heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice or their children to continue their studies stably. Established in 2019 to actively discover public officials and ordinary citizens who serve as social role models and to raise social interest in righteous actions, it aims to create a just society where members help each other even in difficult situations. To date, a total of 46 POSCO Heroes have been selected.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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