This Year’s Seven Hero... 10 Years of Volunteer Service for Elderly Living Alone Targeting Seven-Eleven Franchise Owners

Seven Hero Awards Ceremony Held Since 2020

Kim Hyun-jung, the owner of the Gwangju Songjeong Central branch who has volunteered for over 10 years to support elderly people living alone, was selected as the grand prize winner of Seven-Eleven's '2023 Seven Hero,' which quietly brightened the world this year.

Seven-Eleven announced on the 29th that it held an awards ceremony for the selection of the '2023 Seven Hero.'

Seven Eleven selected Kim Hyun-jung, the manager of Gwangju Songjeong Central Branch, as the '2023 Seven Hero'.
[Photo by Seven Eleven]

Seven Hero is an ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) activity that Seven-Eleven has been conducting at least once a year since 2020. It is a system that discovers and rewards Seven-Eleven store owners, mates, and partner company employees who have taken the lead in sharing activities and crime prevention. About 30 stories were submitted for this year's Seven Hero, and four heroes were selected.

The grand prize was awarded to Kim Hyun-jung, the owner of the Gwangju Songjeong Central branch. Kim Hyun-jung has been active for over 10 years as a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Community Security Council and the Multicultural Family Center's operating committee, continuously volunteering and sharing for elderly people living alone. She is also actively involved in community activities as a member of the Gwangju Participatory Budget Committee and as the president of the merchants' association.

Kim Hyun-jung received a prize money of 1 million won, a plaque, and a certificate of commendation. Kim Hyun-jung, owner of the Gwangju Songjeong Central branch, said in her acceptance speech, “Through years of volunteering and sharing in the community, I have gained the joy of giving, peace of mind, and a lot of energy,” adding, “I will continue to walk alongside Seven-Eleven so that I can keep volunteering.”

The excellence award was given to Lee Joo-hwan, owner of the Hyundai City Outlet Daegu branch. Lee Joo-hwan noticed in advance a criminal disguised as a nighttime part-time job seeker in the area and contributed to the arrest of the criminal through hiring. He also actively worked on crime prevention by sharing information with other nearby store owners whenever dangerous incidents occurred.

The merit award was given to Kim Eun-joo, owner of the Yeongtong Cine branch, and Kim Chang-seok, owner of the Udong Lotte branch. Kim Eun-joo has continuously conducted sharing activities such as distributing ramen, triangular kimbap, and bottled water to local seniors and national veterans, while Kim Chang-seok has continuously sponsored beverages and snacks to social welfare centers for the disabled and children and has been active as the leader of the volunteer group of store owners in the Yeongnam region.

Jang Ah-reum, head of the Seven-Eleven ESG Management Team, said, “We express our gratitude to the store owners who have quietly continued good deeds for the local community in unseen places,” adding, “We will continue to support these individuals so that they can keep contributing to their communities.”