By Park Si-soo

Veteran singer Lee Young-choon, known better by his stage name, Sul Woon-do, will receive an award from U.S. President Barack Obama for his volunteer work for Korean communities in the U.S. The 55-year-old will become the second Korean entertainer to receive The President’s Volunteer Service Award following another singer Kim Jang-hoon, who was recognized in July for donations and other philanthropic works for Korean communities in U.S. cities.



According to Sul’s agency, the singer was named as the recipient for a variety of activities and will receive the award at a fund-raising concert expected to be held at a church in Los Angeles this coming Saturday (local time).

``Thank you for your devotion to service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great nation,” said the White House in a congratulatory letter delivered to Lee that bears Obama’s signature.

Lee, along with his wife, a former actress, has taken to the stage in a great number of concerts and charity events for elderly Koreans there, his aides said. He also took part in cultural campaigns intended to improve the relationship between Seoul and Washington, they added.

“There are a large number of volunteers whose struggles remain unrecognized. So I still wonder I deserve winning the covetous award,” Lee told The Korea Times in a phone interview. “With winning the award, I will devote myself more to our community and continue to do philanthropic work for Koreans at home and abroad for the rest of my life.”

He will depart for the U.S. on Monday for the fund-raising concert and award ceremony and return home on Aug. 23.