Who Are This Year’s "S-OIL Hero Coast Guard Officers"?

Nine Hero Coast Guard Officers Selected This Year, Including Sergeant Choi Myunggeun of Uljin Coast Guard
2013 Agreement with Korea Coast Guard and Korea National Council on Social Welfare

This year’s S-OIL Hero Coast Guard officers have been selected.

S-OIL (CEO Anwar Al Hejazi), together with the Korea National Council on Social Welfare (Chairman Kim Sunghee) and the Korea Coast Guard (Commissioner Kim Yongjin), held the "2025 Hero Coast Guard Awards Ceremony" at the Mapo Garden Hotel in Seoul on December 9, presenting plaques and a total of 90 million won in prize money to nine Hero Coast Guard officers.

Sergeant Choi Myunggeun, who was selected as the top Hero Coast Guard officer, evacuated 104 residents who had become stranded on a coastal breakwater while fleeing a large wildfire in Yeongdeok in March 2025, using a rescue boat to prevent any potential accidents.

Sergeant Jeon Hoyoung of the Ulsan Coast Guard was recognized for his efforts in March 2025, when a fire broke out in the evergreen forest of Mokdo, a natural monument in Ulju-gun. Despite rescue personnel and equipment being unable to access the island, he personally entered the island using a rescue surfboard and extinguished the fire after a two-hour struggle. In September, he was also credited with safely rescuing a crew member who had fallen and become stranded at Ulsan Main Port by employing a rescue pyramid platform and a 3:1 towing system.

S-OIL CEO Anwar Al Hejazi stated, "Coast Guard officers who risk their lives to save others at sea under difficult circumstances are true heroes," adding, "S-OIL will continue to provide unwavering support and interest for the Coast Guard going forward."

In 2013, S-OIL signed the "Coast Guard Hero Guardian" agreement with the Korea Coast Guard and the Korea National Council on Social Welfare to encourage and boost the morale of Coast Guard officers who dedicate themselves on the front lines-rescuing distressed vessels, preventing marine pollution, and cracking down on illegal fishing vessels-to protect Korea’s maritime territory and safeguard the lives and property of its citizens.

Since then, S-OIL has continued a variety of support activities, including providing scholarships for the children of fallen Coast Guard officers, covering medical expenses for officers injured in the line of duty, organizing rest camps for Coast Guard couples, and hosting the Hero Coast Guard Awards. In recognition of these contributions, S-OIL CEO Anwar Al Hejazi was appointed an honorary Coast Guard officer in 2024.