'LG Hero Award' to Navy Sergeant Who Saved Middle School Girl Who Jumped into Yeongsan River

Im Kyung-jin, Navy Sergeant (44)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 6th that it will award the ‘LG Hero Award’ to Sergeant Im Kyung-jin (44) of the Navy, who saved a middle school girl who jumped into the Yeongsan River last month.

Sergeant Im, belonging to the Base Defense Unit of the Navy’s 3rd Fleet Command, was driving across the Samho Bridge at the mouth of the Yeongsan River with his wife on the afternoon of the 18th last month when he noticed a female student sitting barefoot on the railing of the opposite floodgate.

Instinctively sensing that the student’s situation was unusual, Sergeant Im immediately turned the car around and headed to the location where the student had been. However, by the time Sergeant Im arrived at the scene, the student had already jumped into the Yeongsan River.

Sergeant Im put on a life jacket from his car and without hesitation jumped into the river, swimming about 150 meters to reach the struggling student and rescued her. He then handed the student over to the 119 rescue team that arrived on the scene, and the student was transported to the hospital and is reported to be out of danger.

Sergeant Im calmly said, “The moment I saw the student on the railing, I sensed danger and only thought about saving her. As a parent raising children, I just did what was natural, and I will continue to step forward without hesitation to protect the lives of citizens as a soldier serving the people.”

An official from LG Welfare Foundation stated, “This is to encourage Sergeant Im’s strong sense of duty, who put citizens’ safety before himself.”

The ‘LG Hero Award’ was established in 2015 reflecting the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo’s will that “the company repays its social responsibility to heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice.” Since CEO Koo Kwang-mo took office, the scope of recipients has been expanded to include citizens who have performed exemplary good deeds and volunteer work in society, and to date, a total of 125 people have received the LG Hero Award.