Emergency relief work in Gaza, Ethiopia and other conflict zones

Tanzanian doctors brought to Korea for training at his own expense

Free treatment for foreign workers ... award ceremony Oct. 21

Kim Yong-min, former professor at Chungbuk National University College of Medicine. [Provided by JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation]
Kim Yong-min, former professor at Chungbuk National University College of Medicine. [Provided by JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation]

Kim Yong-min, a 67-year-old former professor at Chungbuk National University College of Medicine who gave up a tenured university hospital position to serve in conflict zones and medically underserved countries, has been named the recipient of the 2026 JW Seongcheon Award.

The JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation, the public-interest arm of JW Pharmaceutical, announced Wednesday that Kim had been selected as the 14th winner of the award.

A graduate of Seoul National University College of Medicine, Kim served as a professor at Chungbuk National University College of Medicine before resigning early in 2018 to pursue international humanitarian work. As a medical relief volunteer, he has since been deployed four times to conflict and refugee zones around the world — including the Gaza Strip in Palestine, Gambella in Ethiopia and Abyei in South Sudan — where he focused on treating gunshot and trauma patients.

Since 2024, he has continued his volunteer work at his own expense in medically underserved areas including Tanzania and Uzbekistan, performing advanced spinal procedures such as anterior spinal approach surgery and teaching the techniques to local doctors. Committed to building local self-sufficiency rather than making one-off visits, he personally covered the living expenses of two Tanzanian doctors who came to Korea for training last year, and plans to fund training for three more in October.

Kim has also maintained his service to marginalized communities at home. Since 2020, he has provided free medical care to the urban poor and foreign workers at Joseph Clinic and Rafael Clinic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he mentored the next generation of doctors as a supervising specialist in orthopedics at the National Police Hospital. He also took part in emergency relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and served on the medical support team for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The award recognizes a lifetime devoted to building a sustainable, self-reliant healthcare ecosystem — combining emergency relief in conflict zones with the transfer of advanced medical skills to doctors in developing countries.

"Leaving behind a secure position to travel through conflict zones and underserved areas and lay the groundwork for local medical self-sufficiency embodies the spirit of respect for life," said Lee Seong-nak, chairman of the JW Seongcheon Award Committee, explaining the selection. The award ceremony will be held Oct. 21 at JW Pharmaceutical's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.


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