Late Shin Kyuk-ho, Lotte Group Chairman, Awarded to Songpa Residents... Why?

Songpa-gu to Hold 'Songpa Residents' Day Ceremony' at Songpa Residents' Hall on the 16th...Recreating the Glory of the 1988 Seoul Olympics Host City, 14 Recipients Including the Late Shin Kyuk-ho, Founding Chairman of Lotte Group, Awarded Songpa Residents' Prize

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Seogang Seok) held the ‘Songpa Residents' Day Commemoration Ceremony’ at the Songpa Residents' Hall at 3 p.m. on the 16th.

This is an annual event aimed at fostering a sense of community and enhancing pride as residents of Songpa-gu.

Celebrating its 31st year, ‘Songpa Residents' Day’ was established to commemorate September 17, 1988, the day the Seoul Olympics were held.

This event served as an opportunity to revisit the past of Songpa, the host city of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and to explore the future direction of Songpa-gu. About 1,000 people, including members of the National Assembly, city councilors, district councilors, and heads of related local organizations, attended to honor the occasion.

At the ‘Songpa Residents' Award Ceremony,’ 14 individuals were honored across eight categories, including the highest honor ▲Resident Grand Prize (posthumously awarded to the late Shin Kyuk-ho, the first chairman), ▲Filial Piety Award (Kim Myo-sun and Yoo Young-jun), ▲Volunteer Award (Ko Sook-hee and Kim Yong-pil), ▲Model Youth Award (Jo Gyu-won and Baek Sung-jin), ▲Resident Harmony Award (Lee Jong-wook and Choi Man-soo), ▲Education, Culture and Sports Award (Lee Dong-jin and Lee Beom-young), ▲Local Economy Revitalization Award (Park Yeon-hee and Park Young-hee), and ▲Civil Society Organization Award (Soli Nature Love).

The awardees, who have devoted themselves to the development of the local community and district administration, were carefully selected, and their activities were shared through video presentations.

In particular, the Resident Grand Prize was posthumously awarded to the late Shin Kyuk-ho, the founding chairman of Lotte Group. He was recognized for his contribution to developing Jamsil, which was once a barren sandy island in the 1970s, into a leading tourist hub in South Korea, thereby driving the national economy.

Meanwhile, the congratulatory performances fully showcased the local characteristics of Songpa-gu. The Binari team of the Songpa Folk Preservation Society opened the event with traditional Korean melodies wishing for the peace and prosperity of Songpa residents, who have witnessed the birth and growth of Songpa-gu.

Following the Songpa Residents' Award ceremony, the Korea National Sport University Taekwondo demonstration team reenacted the excitement of the 1988 Seoul Olympics opening ceremony held in Songpa-gu. The Songpa-gu Symphony Orchestra and Songpa-gu Choir delivered high-quality performances with repertoires such as ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ and ‘Songpa’s Song,’ with the residents themselves as the protagonists.

Seogang Seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope this commemoration ceremony served as an opportunity to raise pride as Songpa residents and to foster harmony among us.” He added, “Going forward, Songpa will shake off all lethargy and incompetence and devote all efforts to district administration that serves the residents as the true owners, aiming to achieve development that surpasses past glories.”

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