The MGU Foundation is an organization that began offering free medical services in 1978 at the Bethlehem free meal service center for the homeless, initiated by medical and nursing students. Since 2007, the foundation has officially operated under the name MGU Foundation, providing free medical care domestically and expanding its efforts to volunteer abroad in third-world countries. Currently, more than 130 medical professionals and future healthcare providers participate in these activities as part of a university union club.
The MGU Foundation has been consistently carrying out medical volunteer work for over 40 years. Since 2007, they have conducted two overseas medical missions per year, treating over 1,200 patients on each trip, including performing necessary surgical procedures. In addition, they engage in activities such as providing local food supplies, hygiene education, digging wells, and establishing medical centers. For patients requiring hospitalization or surgery, the foundation arranges for them to be brought to Korea, where they receive free surgeries through hospitals run by or affiliated with foundation members.
Although it began with small intentions, the foundation’s 46 years of consistent medical volunteer work, expanding from local efforts to overseas missions, has been highly regarded. This commitment is why the foundation has been selected as the recipient of the main award in the activity category this year.
Professor Kim Jin-Hong
(Seoul National University School of Biological Sciences)
Professor Kim Jin-Hong has pioneered basic science research on intractable frozen shoulder (rotator cuff disease), which is caused by degeneration of the tendons that make up the shoulder joint.
He discovered that when tendons are exposed to excessive or repetitive physical stress, a cytokine factor called CTRP3 disrupts the differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells, resulting in degenerative changes in the tendon and underlying loss of tension in the tendon. He also proposed the possibility of developing technologies to control the progression of intractable frozen shoulder by targeting CTRP3 using antibody therapies.
Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of cartilage, which is located between bones and absorbs and protects the shock transmitted to the joint. Kim identified an enzyme called tankyrase that identifies and regulates the regenerative signaling system inherent in cartilage.
Encouragement Award for Humanities and Social Sciences
Details of achievements
Jang Sung-ik is a writer and independent researcher who, since the early 1990s, has focused on ecological issues. He has been active in various fields, including writing and academic research, planning publications, delivering public lectures, and participating in civic organizations on ecological and environmental topics. Through these efforts, he has been dedicated to promoting ecological values and raising awareness about the importance of environmental education. Based on his concerns about modern materialism that leads to the loss of humanity and the destruction of life's values due to excessive competition and profit-seeking, Jang emphasizes ecological and communal values such as solidarity, sustainability, and coexistence. He has written several books aimed at young people, the future generation, including "Justice for the Environment" and "Debates on Bioethics." Drawing on a solid theoretical foundation and scholarly understanding of ecological and life issues, he has authored numerous introductory books that are easily accessible and understandable for the general public.
Established in 1991 in Daejeon to provide counseling services for single mothers, the Daejeonjamowon opened a single mother and child facility in 1995. It remains the only facility of its kind in the Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungbuk regions, operating as a support center for single mothers during childbirth.
In 2023, the Daejeonjamowon provided accommodation and support for 54 single mothers. Since 2015, it has also supported mothers after they leave the center, currently managing and assisting 27 families primarily in the Chungcheong, Yeongnam, and Honam areas. To help former residents secure more stable housing, the Daejeonjamowon introduced the “Seed Savings Account” in 2018, allowing them to save significant funds. Additionally, the center offers a 24-hour emergency support service for pregnant women in crisis, available via phone at 1422-37.
