Surgeon Park Se-eop Recognized for Dedication to Medical Volunteering in Afghanistan and Morocco, Awarded 'Asan Prize'

Asan Foundation Holds the 34th Asan Awards Ceremony
Treats 27,000 Tuberculosis Patients in Morocco
Medical Service Award to Odongchan, Social Service Award to Good Shepherd Sisters

At the 34th Asan Awards ceremony on the 17th, Chung Mong-joon, Chairman of the Asan Social Welfare Foundation (from the left), surgeon Park Se-eop (Asan Award recipient), Sister Lee Hee-yoon, head of the Good Shepherd Sisters (Social Service Award), and Oh Dong-chan, Medical Director of the National Sorokdo Hospital (Medical Service Award), are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Asan Foundation]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Dr. Park Se-eop (60), a surgeon who has treated residents suffering from war in Afghanistan and cared for more than 27,000 tuberculosis patients in Morocco while working to improve health environments, has been honored with the Asan Award.

The Asan Social Welfare Foundation held the 34th Asan Award ceremony on the afternoon of the 17th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Dr. Park, who received the Asan Award, nurtured his dream of medical volunteer work while attending Busan National University College of Medicine and chose general surgery as his specialty to treat marginalized patients. In 2005, he went to war-torn Afghanistan with his family, serving as the head of general surgery at Cure International Hospital in Kabul and as the hospital director of the Korean hospital within the Bagram U.S. military base, dedicating himself to treating local residents and training local doctors and nurses.

Later, witnessing many people dying outside the hospital, Dr. Park realized the need to enter the communities where they live to save more lives. At age 50, he began studying public health at Johns Hopkins University in the United States and earned a master's degree. In 2012, he became the head of the North Africa branch of the international health nonprofit organization Global Care, and in Morocco, the northernmost country in Africa, he has treated over 27,000 tuberculosis patients while working to improve health conditions. Since 2019, he has also been conducting tuberculosis eradication projects in Mauritania, neighboring Morocco.

Meanwhile, the Medical Volunteer Award was given to Oh Dong-chan (54), head of medical affairs at the National Sorokdo Hospital, who has cared for Sorokdo residents marginalized due to social prejudice against Hansen’s disease for 27 years. The Social Service Award was presented to the Good Shepherd Sisters (led by Sister Lee Hee-yoon), who contributed to improving welfare for socially marginalized women such as single mothers, victims of sexual and domestic violence, and migrant women.

After graduating from Chosun University College of Dentistry, Oh applied as a public health doctor at the National Sorokdo Hospital in 1995 and has since devoted 27 years to treating Sorokdo residents marginalized by Hansen’s disease. In particular, he developed the country’s first 'lower lip reconstruction surgery' for residents who could not eat properly due to the drooping lower lip caused by Hansen’s disease sequelae, treating over 500 patients.

The Good Shepherd Sisters, an international congregation founded in France in 1835, entered Korea in 1966 and are active in Seoul, Chuncheon, Gunsan, Jeju, and other areas. In the 1970s, they operated dormitories for young women and cared for single mothers, leading to the opening of 'Maria’s House,' a residential facility for single mothers in Chuncheon in 1979, marking the start of their 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 services such as protective facilities, emergency relief, crisis counseling for victims, and self-reliance support for single mothers, victims of sexual and domestic violence, and migrant women affected by violence.

Jung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Social Welfare Foundation, said, "Thanks to the awardees who have devoted themselves to helping neighbors and families in unseen places, our society is becoming warmer," adding, "The Asan Foundation will continue to stand with those who serve and help neighbors in need."

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 foundation formed a judging committee and an operating committee composed of experts from various fields and selected this year’s Asan Award recipients after a comprehensive review of candidates’ achievements.

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