eBay Korea, Fire Agency 119 Hero Award Ceremony... Kim Gi-moon Selected

eBay Korea and the National Fire Agency held the '119 Hero Award' ceremony on the 19th at the National Fire Agency headquarters in Sejong City.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] eBay Korea announced on the 20th that it held the ‘119 Hero Award’ ceremony on the 19th at the Fire Agency headquarters in Sejong City, recognizing civilians who risked their lives at disaster sites.

The recipient of the 119 Hero Award was selected through evaluation of five criteria: ▲job relevance ▲urgency ▲risk ▲direct causality ▲other special factors, with Kim Ki-moon chosen. Last month on the 21st, while fishing near Bonggokcheon in Gimhae City, Kim witnessed an SUV vehicle falling into and overturning in an irrigation canal across from him. Despite physical difficulties, he jumped into the 1.5-meter deep water and safely rescued a family of three trapped inside the vehicle. Kim’s devoted rescue efforts before the arrival of the fire brigade earned him the distinction of being the first recipient of the 119 Hero Award in 2021.

The 119 Hero Award, established by the Fire Agency in 2018, is given to civilians who risk their own safety to protect the lives or property of others during various disasters such as fires and accidents. To date, a total of 25 heroes have been recognized. In March, eBay Korea signed a business agreement with the Fire Agency to support prize money for 119 Hero Award recipients and promote the award.

Seo Min-seok, Vice President of eBay Korea, said, “I am pleased to personally present the first 119 Hero Award of the year to Mr. Kim, who risked his life to save others in a difficult situation,” adding, “We will continue to actively discover civilian heroes and strive to widely publicize their stories to the 30 million Gmarket and Auction members as well as the public.”