3 citizens awarded for bravery in saving lives

By Lee Min-hyung

From left are Hwang Heung-seop, Kim Boo-geun and Choi Chang-ho

Three citizens have been awarded for their acts of bravery in taking risks to save the lives of those in imminent danger, LG Welfare Foundation said.

The recipients were Hwang Heung-seop, Kim Boo-geun and Choi Chang-ho, all of whom took immediate action to save those who were at the risk of drowning or being trapped in a fire, the LG subsidiary focusing on the group's philanthropic acts said last week.

Hwang, 48, was working at his office in the nation's southeastern port city of Pohang last month when he saw a vehicle fall into the sea after crashing into an obstacle on the road.

He immediately called the 119 emergency center and rushed onto the scene of the accident. He brought a hammer with him to break the window of the sinking vehicle. He rescued the driver by taking him out of the water, and Hwang was able to save his life.

Kim, 56, also won the LG Righteous Person award for risking his life in saving a person from drowning in the sea near a dock in the southeastern industrial port city of Ulsan last month. The car was parked near the dock before making a roaring sound and rushing into the sea.

Kim, who was near the scene of the accident, jumped into the water and swam about 30 meters to the vehicle and rescued the driver.

LG also said it decided to name Choi as one of the awardees in recognition for his bravery to save the life of an unconscious driver engulfed in flames on a road in Seoul.

The accident took place in February when the car crashed into a median strip on the road in Seongdong-gu in eastern Seoul. Choi, 30, who was also driving near the area, pulled his car to the shoulder lane to help the driver.

The car soon burst into flames, but the driver was unconscious. Choi ran to the car and opened the door to save the driver's life. To brace for a possible explosion, he then took the driver about 40 meters away from the fire scene.

“We decided to award them for their bravery in jumping into the sea and running into flames to save lives,” an official from the foundation said.