Shin Eung-jin (pictured), a professor at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, has been named the recipient of the 34th JW Jungwae Philanthropy Award.
JW Jungwae Pharmaceutical said Monday that Shin was selected for demonstrating leadership during a national medical crisis. The JW Jungwae Philanthropy Award is jointly organized by JW Jungwae Pharmaceutical and the Korean Hospital Association and is given to medical professionals who embody the spirit of philanthropy.
Shin, who served as director of Bucheon Hospital and chairman of the Korean Surgical Society, was recognized for his contribution to treating critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. He volunteered to make his hospital the first private tertiary hospital in the Seoul metropolitan area to serve as a designated COVID-19 treatment center. He also worked to maintain and support essential medical services amid the recent conflict between the government and the medical community over medical school enrollment expansion, protecting the public's right to health.
Shin was also awarded a Prime Minister's Citation in 2019 for proposing an on-time departure work culture as a solution to the low birthrate problem and for revitalizing childbirth and childcare support programs. In 2021, he collaborated with the city of Bucheon to provide health management and care services for the elderly, and established the Gyeonggi Central Sunflower Center, building an integrated system that offers medical care, counseling, and legal services for female victims of violence, thereby strengthening the social safety net.
The JW Jungwae Service Award, presented the same day, went to Jeon Seong-hun, a professor at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, and Park Jung-gyeom, chairman of Hana Hospital under the Hanmaeum Medical Foundation. Jeon has been providing volunteer medical services at Joseph Clinic since 1996 and was recognized for conducting more than 1,350 free medical consultations since 2011, personally visiting medically underserved groups including homeless people, foreign workers, and people with disabilities. Park was also recognized as a medical professional who contributed to the advancement of healthcare and local communities. He developed a cardiovascular center that became the first general hospital in the province to earn accreditation as a cardiovascular intervention facility, improving access to treatment for serious diseases in the region. He also continues to expand employment of people with disabilities, fulfilling his social responsibility.