Chungbuk National University College of Medicine Emeritus Professor Kim Yongmin Wins the '2026 JW Seongcheon Award'

Dedicated himself in conflict zones and medically underserved areas, including Gaza
Personally covered living expenses for local medical staff training in Korea
"I will continue to uphold respect for life wherever help is needed"

JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation, a public-interest foundation of JW Pharmaceutical, said on the 22nd that it held the 2026 JW Seongcheon Award ceremony at JW’s headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 21, and presented Kim Yong-min, an emeritus professor at the College of Medicine of Chungbuk National University, with a 100 million won cash prize and a plaque.

The JW Seongcheon Award was established in 2012 by the late Lee Jong-ho, honorary chairman of JW Pharmaceutical, to carry on the spirit of “respect for life” championed by Seongcheon Lee Gi-seok, the company’s founder and president. Each year, the award recognizes medical professionals who quietly devote themselves to caring for patients and highlights the social value of their work, while promoting the philosophy of respect for life.

JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation, the public-interest foundation of JW Pharmaceutical, held the 2026 JW Seongcheon Award ceremony on the 21st at JW's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. From left: Lee Kyung-ha, chairman of the JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation and chairman of JW; Kim Yong-min, professor emeritus at the College of Medicine at Chungbuk National University and recipient of the 2026 JW Seongcheon Award; and Lee Seong-nak, chair of the JW Seongcheon Award Committee and honorary president of Gachon University College of Medicine. JW Lee Jong-ho Foundation

Emeritus Professor Kim left his faculty position in 2018 and became an activist with a medical relief organization. Since then, he has carried out emergency relief work in conflict zones and medically underserved areas, including the Gaza Strip in Palestine, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Even in extremely challenging conditions, where medical personnel and equipment were woefully inadequate, he treated patients with gunshot wounds, other injuries and infections, putting compassionate medical care into practice.

In Tanzania and Uzbekistan, among other countries, he personally performed complex surgeries at his own expense and taught advanced surgical techniques to local medical staff. He also made significant contributions to building the capacity of medically underserved communities to treat their own patients, including by personally covering the living expenses of local doctors during training in Korea. In Korea, he has continued to provide free medical care to urban poor communities and foreign workers through Joseph Clinic and Rafael Clinic.

“The patients and medical professionals I have met in the field, and the good relationships I have built with them, are the greatest treasures of my life,” Professor Kim said. “I cannot change their world, but it has been deeply rewarding to be a neighbor who stays by their side.”

He added, “I have been able to come this far thanks to the care and love of my family and the people around me. I will keep the value of respect for life embodied in the JW Seongcheon Award close to my heart and continue to quietly fulfill my calling by staying by my patients’ sides.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.