Sangnok Night School, a Haven for Late Bloomers Shining for 47 Years... Kolon Friendship Good Deed Award Grand Prize

Funeral Director Kang Bong-hee Who Last Protected Unclaimed Deceased,
Kim Jeong-sim Who Volunteered in Beauty Services for 42 Years While Battling Illness,
Main Award for 'United by Hands' Sign Language Interpretation for Families of the Hearing Impaired

"Although the business faced ups and downs and there were many times when operating the night school was difficult, I never once thought about closing the school. There are always people who need to learn. Every time I saw the students grow, it felt as if I was growing too, and that made me happy." - Late Principal Park Hak-seon

The Kolon Group Oun Cultural Foundation announced on the 19th that the 23rd Ujeong Good Deeds Award Grand Prize was awarded to 'Sangnok Night School,' a learning center for late learners.

The award ceremony was held that day at the Kolon One & Only Tower in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Sangnok Night School began in March 1976 when the late Principal Park Hak-seon used his personal funds to set up a classroom in the meeting room of the Dongdaemun-gu mobile office in Seoul. Born into a poor farming family and unable to receive timely education, Principal Park turned his attention to those who, like himself, had to give up their studies early due to difficult family circumstances after his ready-made suit business prospered.

The first 36 adult learners who flocked after seeing the night school classroom opening poster enrolled at Sangnok Night School, which has since produced nearly 8,000 graduates. Even now, about 100 students in their 50s to 80s continue their studies at Sangnok Night School.

Awardees of the Friendship and Good Deeds Award and the judges are taking a group commemorative photo
[Photo by Kolon]

Principal Park passed away last October after donating 300 million won to the university hospital where he was hospitalized. Currently, his wife Han Yun-ja serves as the second principal, continuing the legacy of Sangnok Night School.

At the award ceremony, Kang Bong-hee, who has been conducting funerals for unclaimed deceased persons for 18 years; Kim Jung-sim, who has volunteered in hairdressing and beauty services for 42 years; and the sign language interpretation volunteer group 'Together with Hands,' which helps communication for families of the hearing impaired, received the Ujeong Good Deeds Award main prize.

The Ujeong Good Deeds Award was established in 2001 in honor of the late Kolon former chairman Lee Dong-chan’s pen name. Every year, it discovers and awards exemplary good deeds and heartwarming stories in our society. The total prize money is 150 million won, including 50 million won for the grand prize, 30 million won for the main prize (per team), and 10 million won for the special prize.

In her acceptance speech for the Ujeong Good Deeds Award Grand Prize, Principal Han Yun-ja said, "I truly understood why my husband wanted to protect Sangnok Night School so much during his funeral, and I decided to courageously follow in his footsteps as the right path." She added, "The Ujeong Good Deeds Award is a meaningful award that encourages us to live in the most wonderful and beautiful way in the world and to remain unwavering in the future."

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