Gangnam District Awards Grand Prize at 34th Residents' Awards to Oh Wanggeun

Special Award Category Expanded for 50th Anniversary
12 Individuals and 5 Organizations Honored for Dedication to Local Development

Gangnam District in Seoul (District Mayor Cho Sungmyung) announced on the 29th that it held the 34th Gangnam District Residents' Awards Ceremony at the COEX Conference Room on the 28th, presenting awards to 12 residents and 5 organizations (corporations) who contributed to the development of the local community and the improvement of resident welfare.

Commemorative photo after the 34th Gangnam District Residents' Awards Ceremony. Provided by Gangnam District.

This year, awards were presented in a total of 13 categories, including the Grand Prize for Residents, Brave Citizen Award, Exemplary Family Award, Future Talent Award (youth/young adult), Volunteer Award (individual/organization), Exemplary Entrepreneur Award (individual/corporation), Beautiful Donation Award (individual/organization), Peace and Security Award, and Special Award. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the district’s founding, the Special Award category was expanded to honor individuals who laid the foundation for the region and shaped Gangnam’s identity and values.

The Grand Prize for Residents was awarded to Oh Wanggeun, president of the Saegok Nanum Scholarship Foundation. He has devoted himself to donating scholarships for youth and supporting various educational initiatives, actively helping local students realize their dreams. The Brave Citizen Award went to Park Youngsook, who has been engaged in disaster prevention and recovery activities in the community for 17 years. The Exemplary Family Award was presented to the family of Hong Honggi, who has cared for an elderly mother, raised four children, and continued to share with neighbors.

For the Future Talent Award, the youth category was awarded to Kim Seongeon of Sudo Electric Technical High School, and the young adult category went to the Seoul Gangnam Junior Chamber. The Volunteer Award was given to Kim Jinse (individual, Saemaul leader and resident autonomy committee member) and the Daechi 1-dong Hairdressing Volunteer Group (organization, providing hairdressing services for the elderly). The Exemplary Entrepreneur Award was received by Lee Eungho (for leading the good landlord movement in the restaurant industry) and CS Wind Co., Ltd. (for social contribution). The Beautiful Donation Award went to Lee Gwangil of Namseoul Credit Union and the POSCO Talent Volunteer Group.

The Peace and Security Award was presented to Oh Yusik, Senior Vice President of the Gangnam District Council of the National Unification Advisory Council. The Special Award was given to four individuals and one organization, including the Gangnam Dementia Safety Center, in recognition of their contributions to senior welfare and local development.

The late Kim Hyeongmok was recognized for donating lot 8 in Samseong-dong, which was formerly the main building of the Gangnam District Office and is now the site of the Gangnam Public Health Center, and for his dedication to educational advancement as the first chairman of Youngdong High School. The late Lee Gyeongji was honored for her lifelong dedication to the community, including women’s education and the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period, protection of orphans after the war, and donating land for the establishment of Dogok Elementary School.

Kim Wangkyung, who served as the second chairman of the Gangnam District Council in the early days of local autonomy in the 1980s, was recognized for his contribution to the establishment of grassroots democracy. Lee Youngryeol was acknowledged for his 12 years of service as head of the Gangnam branch of the Korea Freedom Federation from 1998, raising security awareness and supporting those in welfare blind spots.

Cho Sungmyung, Mayor of Gangnam District, stated, “I am deeply honored to be able to highlight the noble lives of those who have quietly dedicated themselves to the community through this year’s Special Award. All of this year’s recipients are the hidden driving force of Gangnam, and I will continue to provide unwavering support and attention so that their spirit of sharing and responsibility can lead to the future of our community.”