Three Recipients Including Baek Nak-sam, Who Supported 14,000 Free Weddings Over 54 Years, Receive LG Hero Award

Park Hwaja, Who Collected Scrap Daily for 12 Years to Help Needy Students
Also Honored: Ahn Hyunki, Who Prevented Casualties by Blocking a Speeding Vehicle with His Car

Baek Nak-sam (left), who was selected as the LG Hero Award recipient for supporting free weddings for 14,000 couples in difficult circumstances over 54 years, is taking a commemorative photo with his wife during their wedding shoot.
[Photo by LG Welfare Foundation]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] LG Welfare Foundation announced on the 30th that it has selected Baek Nak-sam (89), the CEO of Sinshin Wedding Hall, who has supported free wedding ceremonies for 14,000 financially struggling couples over 54 years, as the recipient of the 'LG Hero Award.' The award was also given to Park Hwa-ja (60), who has been collecting recyclable waste daily for 12 years to help underprivileged students in the community, and Ahn Hyun-gi (24), who stopped a driverless vehicle speeding downhill with his own car, preventing a major casualty accident.

Since 1967, Mr. Baek has been operating a wedding hall in Masan, Gyeongnam, helping financially struggling couples hold wedding ceremonies at minimal cost. Starting as a professional photographer in his twenties for over ten years, he saved money to purchase a three-story building in 1967, which he converted into a wedding hall. Based on his own experience of postponing his wedding due to poverty, he did not charge for venue rental or wedding costs except for basic photography fees, allowing couples without money to hold their weddings without burden.

Mr. Baek and his wife personally manage the building, clean the venue, and handle parking even in their eighties to continue offering free weddings. He said, "I have been running this every day with the hope that no one would be unable to get married due to lack of money, and now 50 years have passed. I want to continue managing the wedding hall as long as my health permits and spend the rest of my life visiting the couples we married to see how they are doing."

Park Hwaja (left) and Ahn Hyunki, selected as recipients of the LG Humanitarian Award
[Photo by LG Welfare Foundation]

Park Hwa-ja, who serves as the head of Ssangsong 3-ri, Mado-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, has been helping underprivileged students in the community with the proceeds from collecting recyclable waste daily for 12 years. In 2009, as the village head, she started donating money earned from selling collected waste to the township office to help neighbors in need during holidays. Since then, she has been collecting waste for four hours daily by splitting her morning and evening time. Although recently diagnosed with cancer and unable to collect waste as frequently, she continues her volunteer work while undergoing chemotherapy. She has donated over 40 million won so far. Her husband, a truck driver, fully supports her by purchasing a truck to carry the waste.

Ms. Park said, "I regret not being able to study properly due to financial difficulties when I was young, so I mainly donate to underprivileged students." She added, "Recently, a university student who received a scholarship passed the civil service exam, which made me as happy as if it were my own achievement." She also said, "I will continue to collect waste paper and donate as long as I can."

Another awardee, Ahn Hyun-gi, witnessed on September 30 at around 2:30 p.m. in downtown Chungju, Chungbuk, a vehicle speeding downhill on a six-lane road toward an intersection after the driver briefly got out and the brakes failed. He stopped the runaway vehicle by blocking it with his own car. Although the vehicles were severely damaged in the collision, no one, including Mr. Ahn, was injured.

An LG official stated, "The awardees were selected to encourage the spirit of neighborly love shown by two individuals who chose a life of giving to those in need and the courageous act of a citizen who risked danger to stop a runaway vehicle for strangers."

Meanwhile, the LG Hero Award was established in 2015 reflecting the late Koo Bon-moo, former LG Group Chairman’s will to "repay heroes who sacrificed themselves for the nation and social justice as part of corporate social responsibility." After Koo Kwang-mo took office in 2018, the scope of recipients was expanded to include ordinary citizens who quietly serve and perform good deeds for others throughout society. To date, a total of 169 people have received the LG Hero Award.