Olive Hospital Director Kim Jong-woo poses for a photo holding the Good Hospital plaque. [Provided by Community Chest of Seoul]
Olive Hospital Director Kim Jong-woo poses for a photo holding the Good Hospital plaque. [Provided by Community Chest of Seoul]

Olive Hospital, a convalescent hospital specializing in cancer care, has joined the Community Chest of Seoul's "Good Hospital" program, recognized for 12 consecutive years of regular charitable giving.

The Community Chest of Seoul — known locally as Seoul Sarang-ui Yeolmae — presented Olive Hospital with the Good Hospital plaque Sunday, citing the institution's sustained commitment to giving. Hospital director Kim Jong-woo first established ties with the organization in 2014, when he was serving as head of the Dongdaemun branch of Iu Clinic, and has continued making regular donations for 12 years since.

Kim cited a difficult childhood as the motivation behind his giving. After losing his father in middle school, he went through a period of financial hardship but was able to continue his studies and realize his dream of becoming a doctor thanks to support from relatives, his church and neighbors. Since establishing himself in society, he has sought to give back what he received, contributing not only to the Community Chest of Seoul but also supporting North Korean defectors and overseas missionary organizations, and volunteering at shelters for abandoned dogs.

"I am who I am today because someone helped me during those difficult times," Kim said. "Going forward, I want this hospital to grow alongside the community through consistent giving and medical volunteer work."

Kim said he never suspended his regular donations even during periods when the hospital faced operational difficulties — including the MERS outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic — and that this commitment has been the driving force behind more than a decade of sustained giving.

Shin Hye-young, secretary general of the Community Chest of Seoul, expressed deep gratitude for Olive Hospital's unwavering practice of giving over 12 years. "We hope this steady commitment will serve as a model for spreading positive influence throughout our society," she said.

The Community Chest of Seoul's Good Hospital program is open to hospitals that participate in community giving through regular monthly donations of at least 30,000 won ($19). Funds raised through the hospitals' sustained contributions support welfare gaps and vulnerable groups in the Seoul area, helping to foster a culture of giving within the community.


terry@heraldcorp.com