Volunteer Kim Kyung-hee, Chairman Kim Hyun-tae, Manager Park Seok-jun and Dongan Welfare Foundation honored

From 1,886 hours of service over 16 years to more than 30 years of support — dedication to community welfare recognized

Award ceremony
Award ceremony

Three individuals and one organization from Dongdaemun-gu received excellence awards in the Seoul Metropolitan Government Welfare Award category at the 2026 Seoul Social Welfare Conference, held Thursday to mark the 27th Social Welfare Day, the district announced.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government Welfare Award recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to the advancement of welfare and the spread of a culture of sharing in Seoul.

This year, 10 recipients — individuals and teams — were selected across three categories: volunteers, donors and welfare workers.

The Dongdaemun-gu honorees were volunteer Kim Kyung-hee of Jangan General Social Welfare Center in the volunteer category, Chamsarang Silcheon Moim Chairman Kim Hyun-tae in the donor category, Park Seok-jun, a manager at the Seoul Metropolitan Dongdaemun Senior Welfare Center, in the welfare worker category, and the Dongan Welfare Foundation, a social welfare corporation, in the donor category. Each was recognized for consistently practicing service and sharing in the community and for their dedication on the ground.

Kim Kyung-hee, who received the excellence award in the volunteer category, logged more than 1,886 hours of volunteer work over 16 years from 2010 to 2026. She was recognized for helping neighbors in need and for her consistent contributions to spreading a culture of volunteerism in the community.

The Dongan Welfare Foundation, honored in the donor category, has carried out a range of sharing activities every year since 2007, including donating rice under its "Rice of Love" initiative, delivering gift boxes and providing financial support to low-income households. The foundation also operates welfare facilities for children, the elderly and people with disabilities, offering ongoing welfare services to local residents.

Kim Hyun-tae, chairman of Chamsarang Silcheon Moim and also honored in the donor category, has led the organization for more than 30 years, from 1994 to 2025, carrying out support and volunteer activities throughout. His contributions include approximately 120 million won ($89,700) in surgical funding for child patients through the Korea Heart Foundation, annual donations of 3 million to 5 million won to Eden Ivil, 15 million won to low-income households and 4.2 million won in scholarships for middle and high school students. He has also participated in comfort gatherings for elderly people living alone, working to spread a culture of sharing in the community.

Park Seok-jun, who received the excellence award in the welfare worker category, has worked as a social worker across six autonomous districts in Seoul since 2009, building field experience and expertise in welfare areas covering children, youth, people with disabilities and the elderly. He has been particularly active in protecting the rights and promoting the human dignity of senior citizens at elderly welfare facilities, contributing to the development of local welfare and the improvement of social welfare services.

The 2026 Seoul Social Welfare Conference, organized by the Seoul Social Welfare Council and sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and S-Oil, was held to honor those who have dedicated themselves to the welfare field and to reflect on the meaning and value of social welfare on the occasion of the 27th Social Welfare Day. The Seoul mayor, the chairman of the Seoul Social Welfare Council and other prominent figures from various sectors attended to congratulate the recipients.

Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min extended his congratulations to the recipients and their organizations. "I am sincerely grateful to the honorees, who have long practiced sharing and service for the community and have quietly devoted themselves on the front lines of social welfare," he said. "Dongdaemun-gu will continue to strengthen public-private welfare cooperation and actively support the continuation of sharing and service throughout the community."


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