Citizen Who Saved Three Family Members Drowning... Awarded LG Hero Award

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] "When I had an accident in the past, I received a lot of help from those around me. With a heart that did not see it as someone else's problem, I was led by my body to go out and rescue." (LG Hero Award recipient Kim Ki-moon, 56)

LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 20th that it decided to award the LG Hero Award to Mr. Kim, who rescued a family trapped in a submerged car despite having a lower body disability at the site of a vehicle fall accident in Gimhae, Gyeongnam last month.

On the 21st of last month, Mr. Kim was fishing near Bonggokcheon in Gimhae when he witnessed a vehicle rolling down into an agricultural waterway while trying to give way to an oncoming vehicle on a narrow bridge.

Although he had been diagnosed with a level 4 disability due to a major accident in the past and had physical difficulties, he immediately jumped into the water upon witnessing the accident. Three family members were trapped inside the overturned vehicle, unable to open the door due to water pressure. Although muddy water rose and visibility was poor, Mr. Kim used all his strength to find the handle and opened the car door. He first pulled the driver out of the water, then opened the rear door to safely rescue the driver's wife and son.

LG Humanitarian Award recipients (from left) Kim Gi-mun, Park Young-man, Heo Won-seok / Photo by LG

Another LG Hero Award recipients, Park Young-man (57) and Heo Won-seok (48), work as sanitation workers in Jincheon-gun, Chungbuk. On the early morning of the 11th of last month, they witnessed a vehicle hitting a traffic island at an intersection and catching fire.

After calling 119, the two opened the driver's door engulfed in flames and pulled out the unconscious driver, moving him about 20 meters away to avoid an explosion. They handed the driver over to the arriving rescue team and quietly left the scene, but their good deed was revealed later during the police investigation. The two calmly said, "Anyone could have done it at the accident scene."

An LG official stated, "This award is to encourage the courageous actions of those who overcame disabilities and risked their lives to save precious lives."

The LG Hero Award was established in 2015 reflecting the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo's will that "the company repays social responsibility to heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice." Since LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo took office, the scope of recipients has expanded to include ordinary citizens who quietly serve and perform good deeds for others in various parts of society. To date, a total of 145 people have received the LG Hero Award.

Recipients of the LG Hero Award include Jeon Ok-rye (74), the longest-serving foster mother in Korea who has raised 119 foster children over 36 years; Jeong Hee-il (95), the oldest awardee who has volunteered at a free meal center for 34 years; and Director Park Jong-su (80), who has provided free medical treatment and meal service at the "Love Restaurant" for 55 years.