November 28, 2024

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S-Oil President Ryu Yul (fifth from left) and Kim Sung-i (fourth from left), chairman of Korea National Council on Social Welfare, pose with eight winners of this year's Hero Firefighters Award at a ceremony held at a Seoul hotel on Thursday. (S-Oil)

South Korean oil refiner S-Oil hosted an awards ceremony in Seoul on Thursday to honor the contributions of eight “Hero Firefighters,” together with the Korea National Council on Social Welfare.

At the 2024 Hero Firefighters Award Ceremony, a panel of firefighting experts named Fire Lt. Yoo Seung-geol as the “Top Hero Firefighter.” Yoo received a cash prize of 20 million won ($14,300) for acts of bravery.

In June, he rescued a person trapped in a flood during an underwater search in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Earlier, in April, he saved a missing individual with an intellectual disability and extinguished a warehouse fire. Yoo’s contributions include 978 firefighting missions and 1,624 rescue operations, earning him recognition for his dedication to public safety.

S-Oil also awarded 10 million won to each of the seven other firefighters, including Fire Sergeant Kim Kwang-soo and Fire Lts. Kim Yong-soo, Kim Wook and Sung Hoon.

Its CEO Anwar Al-Hejazi expressed his admiration, saying, “I am deeply inspired by the selfless bravery of firefighters who save lives in the face of various fires and accidents. Proud of our initiative to honor these heroes, we will continue to support them with the utmost respect.”

S-Oil has been running its Hero Firefighter Campaign, providing condolence funds, tuition support for bereaved families, and medical assistance for firefighters. The program also includes initiatives like refreshment camps aimed at supporting their well-being.

By Park Min-ha (en23mp@heraldcorp.com)