Nine citizens selected as POSCO Heroes

“Getting in trouble during the flood, I have been reminded that I need to keep drains clean,” said Park Byung-il. He joined hands with Han Baek-ho and Yoo In-cheon to save five lives who were locked in a semi-basement home in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 8 when the capital area was flooded by a torrential downpour. They tried hard to remove trash from the drains while water levels were intimidatingly rising at that time.

As their story went viral online, the three men were dubbed ‘heroes in Shillim-dong’ on online forums. “I am grateful that I could chip in to save my neighbors. They are no different than my family,” Park said.

The POSCO Cheongam (TJ Park) Foundation announced on Thursday that nine righteous citizens including the three men in Gwanak-gu were selected ‘POSCO Heroes’ and awarded a prize certificate and a fellowship in recognition of risking their life to save their neighbors in torrential rain. This initiative is part of ‘POSCO Heroes Fellowship,’ a project to provide scholarship assistance to righteous citizens who sacrificed themselves to save others’ lives or their children so that they can continue their studies.

Eun Seok-joon, Kwon Woo-je, Park Jong-yeon and Kim Jin-hak also got a young man out of a semi-basement home in the flood. Lim Sung-kyu saved a couple in their 80s left in a semi-basement house near Seongdae Market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Pyo Se-joon swam to rescue a woman isolated on the trunk of a car submerged in rainwater on a six-lane road in Seocho-gu, Seoul.


Jae-Hyeng Kim monami@donga.com