Park Se-eop, Who Provided Medical Volunteer Service in Afghanistan and Morocco, Wins Asan Award Grand Prize

27,000 Tuberculosis Patients Treated in Morocco
Medical Service Award: Odongchan · Social Service Award: Good Shepherd Sisters

The winner of the 34th Asan Award Grand Prize, Park Se-eop, is visiting Moroccan residents to provide medical treatment.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Asan Social Welfare Foundation announced on the 20th that the grand prize of the 34th Asan Award was awarded to Dr. Park Se-eop (60), a surgeon and health expert who has been treating residents suffering from war in Afghanistan and leading tuberculosis eradication efforts in Morocco.

While in his second year at Busan National University College of Medicine, Park happened to learn about medical missionaries in Africa, which inspired his dream of medical volunteer work. To treat patients in remote areas who could not afford surgery, he chose general surgery as his specialty. After graduating from medical school, he participated in domestic medical volunteer work for foreign workers and overseas medical volunteer activities in Vietnam, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, and other countries.

In particular, at a refugee camp in Azerbaijan, he witnessed a young man crying out, "What use is it to come only after war and hardship, after we have become refugees, to give us medicine and help?" This moved him to resolve to be there for people during difficult and challenging times. In 2002, he closed his private clinic and went to Australia to study cultural anthropology and NGO studies. In 2005, he went to war-torn Afghanistan with his family. He served as the head of general surgery at Cure International Hospital in Kabul and as the director of the Korean hospital within the Bagram U.S. military base, dedicating himself to treating residents and training local doctors and nurses.

Not settling there, Park began studying public health at Johns Hopkins University in the United States at the age of 50. After completing his master's degree in public health in 2012, he took on the role of head of the North Africa branch of the international health nonprofit organization "Global Care," visiting Morocco at the northernmost tip of Africa and treating over 27,000 tuberculosis patients to date.

Notably, Park introduced a smart medicine box that automatically sounds an alarm at scheduled times and confirms tuberculosis medication intake, raising Morocco's tuberculosis cure rate from 70% to 90%. He has made significant efforts to improve the local health system, including computerizing the tuberculosis management system for rapid and effective patient care, educating healthcare workers and local residents about tuberculosis, and training health workers to monitor medication adherence. Since 2019, he has also been conducting tuberculosis eradication projects in Mauritania, adjacent to Morocco. Park said, "My dream is to be someone who weeps with those who weep and laughs with those who laugh," adding, "My ultimate goal is to see the healthcare system in North African countries become somewhat more rational while I am working there."

Meanwhile, the Medical Volunteer Award was given to Oh Dong-chan (54), head of medical affairs at the National Sorokdo Hospital, who has treated Hansen's disease patients and contributed to improving social awareness for 27 years on Sorokdo Island. Oh graduated from Chosun University College of Dentistry and, motivated by a desire to treat Hansen's disease patients suffering from social prejudice, has devoted himself to treating Hansen's disease patients since joining the National Sorokdo Hospital as a public health doctor in 1995. Notably, he developed the country's first "lower lip reconstruction surgery" to help patients who could not eat properly due to the aftereffects of Hansen's disease causing drooping of the lower lip, treating over 500 patients.

Additionally, the Social Service Award was given to the Good Shepherd Sisters, who have contributed to improving the welfare of marginalized women in our society, including single mothers, victims of sexual violence, runaway female adolescents, and migrant women. The Good Shepherd Sisters is an international congregation founded in France in 1835 by Sister Mary Euphrasia and entered Korea in 1966, operating in Seoul, Chuncheon, Gunsan, Jeju, and other locations. Starting with running dormitories for young women and caring for single mothers in the 1970s, they opened "Maria's House," a residential facility for single mothers in Chuncheon in 1979, beginning full-scale support for socially marginalized women. Based on the founding spirit that "One person is more precious than the whole world," they have provided various support activities such as emergency relief, crisis counseling for victims, and self-reliance support through communal living homes for single mothers and their children, protection facilities for victims of domestic violence, support facilities for victims of prostitution, and shelters for runaway female adolescents.

Meanwhile, the Asan Social Welfare Foundation established the Asan Award in 1989 to encourage individuals or organizations who have devoted themselves to helping neighbors in need or practicing filial piety. The grand prize winner receives 300 million KRW, and the Medical Volunteer Award and Social Service Award winners each receive 200 million KRW. Additionally, 15 winners in three categories?Welfare Practice Award, Volunteer Award, and Filial Piety & Family Award?each receive 20 million KRW, totaling 1 billion KRW awarded to 18 winners (including organizations) across six categories. The award ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on November 17 at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.

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