Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Selects Winners of the 41st Proud Citizen Awards

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that seven individuals who have dedicated themselves to the city’s development by embodying the spirit of service and sacrifice were selected as winners of the 41st Proud Citizen Awards.

This year’s Grand Prize was awarded to Park In-ho, Representative of Citizens’ Association for the Love of Busan Port, who for over 30 years has led civic movements safeguarding the pride of “Maritime Capital Busan” and contributing to the city’s development.

Since founding Citizens’ Association for the Love of Busan Port in 1996—the first maritime and fisheries civic organization in Korea—he has contributed to maritime and fisheries development in Busan by promoting initiatives such as establishing the Busan Port Citizens’ Academy, founding the Busan Port Authority, and the reinstatement of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2013.

In 2017, following the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping, he served as Co-Chair of the Busan Citizens’ Emergency Committee to Save Hanjin Shipping, highlighting the importance of the shipping industry and laying the foundation for Korea’s entry into the world’s top five shipping nations.

He has also spearheaded the National Movement for a New Maritime Power, playing an active role alongside intellectuals across the country in building Korea as a maritime power.

In the Patriotism Division, the Grand Prize was awarded to Gong Tae-do, Honorary Chair of the Gijang Independence Movement Memorial Project Association. The Encouragement Award went to Lee Heung-yong, CEO of Lee Heung-yong Confectionery.

In the Service Division, the Grand Prize was awarded to Gu Jeong-hoe, Chair of Eunseong Medical Foundation. The Encouragement Award was jointly presented to Lee Seung-seop, Advisor to the Korean Red Cross Busan Chapter, and Kim Dong-seop, CEO of Muse Karaoke Studio.

In the Sacrifice Division, the Grand Prize was awarded to Kim Tae-hyun, Deputy Manager at Barae Co., Ltd.

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In the Patriotism Division, the Grand Prize winner, Gong Tae-do, Honorary Chair of the Gijang Independence Movement Memorial Project Association, is a local historian and civic activist who played a pivotal role in the historic tasks of restoring Gijang County and integrating it into Busan Metropolitan City. The Encouragement Award winner, Lee Heung-yong, CEO of Lee Heung-yong Confectionery, was recognized in 2018 as the first master baker and confectioner from a non-capital region of Korea. He has contributed to Busan’s development through efforts to promote coexistence with local bakeries as well as scholarships and sponsorships.

In the Service Division, the Grand Prize winner, Gu Jeong-hoe, Chair of Eunseong Medical Foundation, has dedicated over 30 years to the medical field, strengthening emergency medical systems and specialized centers that enhanced critical patient response in the Yeongnam region. Joint Encouragement Award winner Kim Dong-seop, CEO of Muse Karaoke Studio, has since 2009 engaged in over 320 volunteer activities, including repairing homes for vulnerable families and distributing food to seniors living alone, setting a model example of service. Joint Encouragement Award winner Lee Seung-seop, Advisor to the Korean Red Cross Busan Chapter, has served for 62 years in the organization, rescuing 500 drowning persons, recovering 20 drowning victims, and volunteering as a firefighter for 21 years.

In the Sacrifice Division, the Grand Prize winner, Kim Tae-hyun, Deputy Manager at Barae Co., Ltd., was recognized for his heroism in January 2025, when he risked his life to save a drowning person who had fallen into the sea after a powered wheelchair accident near the fishery pier in Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “The recipients of this year’s Proud Citizen Awards have dedicated themselves to our community and led beautiful changes, earning the recognition of citizens. Their spirit of patriotism, service, and sacrifice resonates deeply within society and serves as a model for all, making Busan a city of happiness and pride for its citizens.”

The Proud Citizen Awards, now in their 41st year since their inception in 1985, are jointly organized by Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. The awards honor citizens who have made remarkable contributions to community development and the promotion of public welfare in the fields of patriotism, service, and sacrifice.

For this year’s awards, a total of 45 candidates were nominated between June 11 and July 25. Following on-site fact-checks, working-level evaluations, and final reviews with external judges, one Grand Prize winner, two Patriotism Division winners, three Service Division winners, and one Sacrifice Division winner were selected.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Citizens’ Day Commemoration Event on October 2