By April Choi
Korea Times Intern
Kim Sun-tae's efforts to help the blind have been recognized in the form of the 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service.
The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Award was created to commemorate the late president of the Philippines and ``to perpetuate his example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.’’
The award ceremony will take place in Manila on Aug. 31. Kim will receive a certificate, medallion with the likeness of Magsaysay and a cash prize.
Director of Seoul's Siloam Eye Hospital, Kim has dedicated most of his life to helping the blind. After he was blinded by a mortar shell during the Korean War and was treated like a pariah by Korean society, he became determined to succeed and change how blind people were treated.
Starting off by forming Korea's first church for the blind in 1972, Kim built a ministry for blind Christians. After touring Japan and the United States, he was inspired by their public amenities and rehabilitation programs for the blind. His new goal saw the construction a hospital specially for the blind that would both treat and cure them.
In 1986, he helped found Siloam Eye Hospital. Since then, he has added a mobile clinic and opened Korea's largest rehabilitation-and-learning center that serves the blind and low-vision population. He has also been influential in advancing new laws that provide benefits for the disabled.
Through Kim, thousands of people's lives have been changed for the better. Pastor Kim gives credit to God for all that he has achieved, citing the words of Apostle Paul. However, he also emphasizes the importance of perseverance. He says, ``Blessed are those who never give up.’’