JW Junghwe Pharmaceutical said Wednesday it has selected Shin Eung-jin (61), a professor at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, as the recipient of the 34th JW Junghwe Philanthropy Award. The award, jointly organized by JW Junghwe Pharmaceutical and the Korean Hospital Association, was established to recognize medical professionals who embody the spirit of philanthropy in society.
JW Junghwe Pharmaceutical said Shin was honored for demonstrating leadership during every national medical crisis. Shin, who has served as head of Bucheon Hospital and chairman of the Korean Surgical Society, volunteered to designate his hospital as a dedicated COVID-19 treatment center during the pandemic — the first among private tertiary hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area — contributing to the treatment of critically ill patients. He also worked to maintain essential medical services amid the recent conflict between the government and the medical community over plans to increase medical school admissions.
Shin was awarded a Prime Minister's Citation at the 8th Population Day ceremony in 2019 for proposing on-time departure from work as a solution to the low birthrate problem and for promoting childbirth and childcare support programs. In 2021, he partnered 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, counseling, and legal services to female victims of violence.
Meanwhile, the JW Junghwe Service Award, presented alongside the philanthropy award, went to Jeon Seong-hun (65), a professor at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, and Park Jung-gyeom (77), chairman of Hana Hospital under the Hanmaeum Medical Foundation.