Daegu City Selects Architect Son Inho and Gwangbeop Volunteer Association for Disabled Persons Award

Daegu City announced on the 6th that it held the "11th Daegu Metropolitan City Awards for Persons with Disabilities Public Review Committee" and selected Son Inho (58, CEO of Son Architects) in the category of "a person with a disability who serves as a role model by giving courage and hope to others," and Gwangbeop Volunteer Group (President Kim Hyunhwa) in the category of "an individual or group who serves as a role model by dedicating or volunteering for persons with disabilities."

The Daegu Metropolitan City Awards for Persons with Disabilities, now in its 11th year since its inception in 2015, is an honorable award presented to discover exemplary individuals with disabilities, volunteers, and organizations, in order to improve awareness of persons with disabilities and promote social integration.

Daegu City Hall Dongin Office Building

From February 3 to March 4 (Tuesday), a public nomination period of 31 days was held, during which candidates were recommended by district offices and related organizations. The recipients were selected through a rigorous review by a committee of external experts.

Son Inho (58), who was selected as the recipient in the category of "a person with a disability who serves as a role model by giving courage and hope to others," is an architect who became an acquired person with a disability after developing a physical disability due to aftereffects of a stroke in 2013. Despite this, he has contributed to improving awareness of persons with disabilities by serving as a regional expert, including as a member of the Daegu City Architectural Review Committee and the Construction Technology Review Committee, as well as the Planning Director of the World Disabled Culture & Welfare Promotion Association, and President of the Daegu City Disabled Park Golf Association. He has also been active in various volunteer activities such as traffic control, wildfire prevention, and youth guidance through organizations like the Daegu City Marine Corps Veterans Association and the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office West Branch Crime Prevention Committee.

Additionally, he has served as a member of the Sincheon 3-dong Residents' Autonomy Committee in Dong-gu, Senior Vice President of the "Creating Premium Seogu" initiative, and Vice President of the Dalseogu "Living Right Movement" Council. Despite acquiring a disability, he has actively engaged in various self-reliance activities, setting a positive example for the local community and receiving high praise.

Meanwhile, the Gwangbeop Volunteer Group, which received the award in the category of "an individual or group who serves as a role model by dedicating or volunteering for persons with disabilities," has been providing monthly beauty services for persons with severe disabilities since 2001 (including transportation support, hair washing, meal assistance, and personal care). They also provide special seasonal meals for persons with disabilities (serving 300 portions of samgyetang every early summer and 300 portions of red bean porridge every winter solstice), and deliver kimchi to about 100 isolated persons with disabilities in winter. The group has also participated in events such as sports competitions for persons with disabilities, seaside experiences for persons with physical disabilities, and outings for persons with severe disabilities, as well as consistently engaging in fundraising and donation activities, earning high marks from the judges.

The award recipients will receive a plaque and be granted honors in accordance with the "Daegu Metropolitan City Awards Operation Ordinance." The awards ceremony will be held on April 17 during the 45th Disability Day commemorative event.

Kim Taeun, Director of Health and Welfare at Daegu City, said, "We are honored to present the Awards for Persons with Disabilities to those who have overcome adversity and inspired many with their exemplary attitudes toward life. This year is especially meaningful as, for the first time, a group has been selected in the volunteer category. We hope that many more unsung heroes will be discovered in the future."