"Thanks to all the volunteers, the world is warm!"

The hands of volunteers helping neighbors in need warm the world.

Seoul's autonomous districts annually celebrate Volunteer Day on December 5th by honoring and encouraging volunteers who have worked hard for neighbors in need throughout the year.

Among this year's awardees, Yangcheon-gu's Volunteer King Yoo Hyun-ok attracted attention for volunteering for 11 years despite being ill.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae is awarding Yuhyun Ok as the Yangcheon-gu Volunteer Award recipient on the 5th.

11 Years of Volunteering Amid Illness... Yangcheon-gu's Volunteer King of the Year Yoo Hyun-ok

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) held the ‘I am a Volunteer’ commemorative event on the 5th at the Yangcheon Cultural Hall Grand Theater to encourage volunteers who contributed to community development with devotion and affection for their neighbors on Volunteer Day (December 5).

The event included ▲ screening of volunteer activity videos ▲ awarding commendations to 31 distinguished volunteers ▲ issuing certificates for volunteer hours to 1,310 people ▲ congratulatory performances ▲ talent contests, creating a space to share the joy of volunteering.

Notably, Yoo Hyun-ok from Sinwol 7-dong, selected as the 5,000-hour Volunteer King, has devoted herself to supporting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and multicultural families for 11 years since 2012. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer but did not stop volunteering despite battling illness, focusing on caring for her neighbors more than herself. Her good deeds led to her being named ‘Volunteer King of the Year,’ deeply resonating within the community.

Additionally, about 1,300 people received Volunteer King certificates by hours: 4 with 10,000 hours, 19 with 5,000 hours, 72 with 1,000 hours, 128 with 500 hours, and 296 with 300 hours.

Currently, Yangcheon-gu has 16,513 volunteers belonging to 347 volunteer organizations, including 4 volunteer groups directly under the Volunteer Center, and 126 members in 17 volunteer camps practicing specialized projects, neighbor care, and environmental protection, contributing to creating a ‘Warm City Yangcheon.’

The ‘Baenet Jeogori Volunteer Group’ under the district Volunteer Center has supported over 500 hand-sewn newborn jackets for low-income vulnerable families and single mother facilities in the area since 2013. Since May, the district has expanded the support target for newborn jackets to all childbirth families in the district, the first among autonomous districts, proactively addressing the low birthrate issue with residents.

Yangcheon-gu is the only autonomous district in Seoul to be selected as an excellent disaster response volunteer center for two consecutive years and has swept awards in the volunteer field, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Award at the Korea Volunteer Awards, the Seoul Welfare Award Grand Prize, and the Seoul Volunteer Award Excellence Prize.

Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, “The noble dedication of volunteers has elevated the value of the community and become a great driving force for practicing solidarity and love among neighbors. We deeply appreciate their efforts and will continue to support them so that they can feel pride and fulfillment as volunteers of Yangcheon-gu.”

Choi Ho-gwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District Office, congratulated the volunteer award recipients.

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it held the ‘2023 Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Contest’ on December 5 at the Yeongdeungpo Art Hall to celebrate Volunteer Day.

December 5 is Volunteer Day, designated as a legal commemorative day in 2005 under the ‘Basic Act on Volunteer Activities’ to encourage volunteer activities and boost volunteer morale.

The volunteer contest was hosted by the Yeongdeungpo-gu Volunteer Center, with about 300 attendees including Mayor Choi Ho-kwon, district council members, neighborhood volunteer associations, volunteer organizations, and corporate volunteer groups.

The event proceeded with ▲ pre-event performance ▲ viewing volunteer activity videos ▲ greetings ▲ awarding outstanding volunteers ▲ awarding certificates by volunteer hours to encourage and thank volunteers who bring warmth and hope to the community.

Unlike previous years when events were simplified due to COVID-19, this year’s contest invited the popera group ‘Romanomdeul’ for a pre-event performance to liven up the atmosphere. Volunteer activity videos were also shared to boost volunteers’ pride.

Especially, 10 individuals and 10 groups who devoted themselves to community development and neighborly love with a strong volunteer spirit received commendations from the district mayor and council chairman.

Additionally, over the past year, 463 volunteers who practiced volunteering through the ‘1365 Volunteer Portal’ received awards with prizes: ▲ Gold Medal for over 500 hours (39 people) ▲ Silver Medal for over 300 hours (57 people) ▲ Bronze Medal for over 200 hours (64 people) ▲ Sharing Award for over 100 hours (303 people).

Since 2023, the district has designated the first Saturday of every month as ‘Volunteer Day’ and continuously practices volunteer work for the community and marginalized groups with public-private joint volunteer teams. Activities include cleaning rainwater drains to prevent flood damage, tree planting for Arbor Day, summer support for residents in gosiwon (small rooms), sharing songpyeon rice cakes for Chuseok, and accompanying elderly at day care centers.

Furthermore, next year, the district plans incentive programs such as discounts at public parking lots and district sports centers for outstanding volunteers to comfort their efforts and encourage new volunteer participation.

Mayor Choi Ho-kwon of Yeongdeungpo-gu said, “I sincerely thank all volunteers who have worked hard to root a warm volunteer culture. We will continue to share warm hands with neighbors in need and create a happy Yeongdeungpo together.”

Yuseonghun, the mayor of Geumcheon District, took a commemorative photo with the awardees at the 2023 Volunteer Day ceremony.

Volunteer Award ‘Ministry of the Interior and Safety Commendation’ Recipients: Resident Ryu Jae-song and Resident Jeong Soon-jung

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) held a commemorative ceremony on December 5 at 2 p.m. at Geumnarae Art Hall to celebrate Volunteer Day.

Under the theme ‘Every Day, Every Moment with Volunteering,’ the event was organized to boost volunteer morale and promote volunteer activities.

About 200 people attended, including Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon, volunteers, and invited guests.

The first part featured performances prepared by volunteers, including girl group dances and the volunteer singing contest winning team’s performance. Additionally, invited groups performed a string quartet, taekwondo demonstrations, musical performances, and original choreography, offering a variety of stages.

During the second part, appreciation plaques were presented to six groups and individuals who participated in social contribution activities to create a warm Geumcheon-gu, and commendations were awarded to 38 outstanding volunteers and groups actively engaged in sharing and volunteer activities for neighbors in need.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety Commendation at the Korea Volunteer Awards went to resident Ryu Jae-song and resident Jeong Soon-jung. Ryu Jae-song has regularly visited welfare centers and senior centers for 20 years, providing Sujok therapy volunteer services to the elderly. Jeong Soon-jung has continuously volunteered since 2006, supporting vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone and disabled people, participating in local safety volunteer work, and environmental cleanup for the community and neighbors.

In line with the theme ‘Every Day, Every Moment with Volunteering,’ attendees watched a video showcasing the past 10 years of volunteer activities dedicated to Geumcheon-gu, sharing encouragement and support.

Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon said, “Warm stories have been created everywhere through volunteering this year as well. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to all volunteers who have worked hard throughout 2023.”

Moon Heon-il, the mayor of Guro District Office, congratulated the volunteers who received commendation certificates.

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) held the 2023 ‘Volunteer Day’ commemorative event on the 5th at the Guro-gu Citizens’ Hall.

Volunteer Day is a legal commemorative day set by the Basic Act on Volunteer Activities to promote participation in volunteer activities and boost volunteer morale, observed annually on December 5.

The district announced on the 6th that it held the Volunteer Day commemorative event to encourage and express gratitude to outstanding volunteers and organizations, awarding commendations, plaques of appreciation, and certificates/medals to a total of 161 people.

This year’s event was attended by about 300 people, including Mayor Moon Heon-il, key figures, and individual and group volunteers. It began with a congratulatory magic show by magician Kim Hae-seong, followed by the opening ceremony, national anthem, mayor’s congratulatory speech, encouragement speech, viewing of 2023 volunteer activity videos, and awards presentation.

The district awarded commendations to 30 individual volunteers, 7 exemplary volunteer group representatives, and 6 excellent volunteer site managers, and plaques of appreciation to 7 volunteer sponsors. Among the 30 individual volunteers, 7 youths will receive commendations from their respective school principals.

Notably, one volunteer who accumulated over 10,000 hours of service was honored as a ‘Volunteer Hero’ with a medal and commendation. Four Volunteer Kings with over 5,000 hours received certificates, and 106 volunteers with over 3,000, 2,000, and 1,000 hours received gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively.