Five Citizens and Organizations Exemplary to Seoul Residents Inducted into the 'Hall of Fame'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 29th that it will induct five citizens and organizations who serve as role models in the lives of Seoul citizens into the 2020 Hall of Fame 'Faces of Seoul.'

Now in its fifth year, the Hall of Fame was launched in 2016 to honor inductees who have contributed to the development of city administration and the enhancement of citizens' happiness, to widely publicize their achievements, and to encourage citizen participation in various fields of city governance.

From April 2 to May 11 this year, the city received a total of 36 nominations for induction candidates. After a fact-finding investigation by the City Audit Committee and two rounds of review by the Induction Selection Committee, two individuals and three organizations were finally selected as inductees.

Among the selected inductees, the '365 Love Milk Sharing' program, known as 'Milk Delivery Checking on the Elderly,' started 15 years ago in Oksu-dong. Thanks to support from various companies and numerous individuals, it has expanded its activities beyond Seongdong-gu to 16 districts across Seoul. If two or more bottles of milk delivered daily to elderly people living alone are left untouched, the delivery personnel notify the family or the local community service center and related agencies to check on their well-being, thereby preventing solitary deaths.

Lee Joo-soon (71, female) has been assisting walking exercises for children with complex severe disabilities at Seoul Children's Hospital for 18 years. She has also been involved in programs such as preparing birthday meals for children without guardians and making hygiene products. Lee visits the hospital regularly at least once a week to help patients, whose muscle strength has declined due to long-term bedridden conditions, improve their bone density through physical rehabilitation, and provides emotional support by playing music and offering foot massage volunteer services.

'Smile Foundation' is the first non-profit organization in South Korea dedicated to oral health for people with disabilities, established in 2003 to improve dental care access for disabled individuals who are often overlooked. It has built a network providing dental information for disabled patients and has supported over 2,500 people with oral cancer and facial deformity treatment costs as well as oral care education.

Kim Dong-hyun (38, male), who was diagnosed as legally blind (grade 1 visual impairment) due to a medical accident in 2012, did not give up but focused on his studies and became a lawyer. He works as a specialist lawyer for discrimination and abuse cases at the Seoul Disability Rights Center, handling numerous public interest lawsuits such as debt non-existence confirmation lawsuits for victims of mobile phone identity theft and damage compensation lawsuits for victims of labor exploitation. Recently, he was appointed as the country's second visually impaired judge, becoming a beacon of hope for people with disabilities.

'Cool City Gangdong Network' is a non-profit environmental organization that has consistently promoted green living practices such as reducing greenhouse gases and saving energy for a sustainable low-carbon green city. Since its launch in 2012, it has been led by environmental civic groups and includes about 90 schools, companies, and public institutions. It conducts climate change response education and trains 'Cool Citizen Leaders' (specialists who spread greenhouse gas reduction campaigns within local communities).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will install bronze relief plaques featuring photos and achievements of these inductees on the walls of the passageway connecting City Hall Station on Subway Line 1 and the Citizen Hall, sharing their stories with Seoul citizens.

However, the annual induction ceremony to honor the inductees' contributions will not be held this year due to the recent increase in the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The induction certificates will be delivered separately to the inductees.