Seoul is conducting a nomination process for candidates for the “2025 Seoul Metropolitan Volunteer Awards” from July 1 to 31, aiming to recognize individuals and organizations that have quietly contributed to volunteering throughout civil society.
The “Seoul Metropolitan Volunteer Awards,” established in 1989, is celebrating its 37th anniversary this year. Jointly organized by Seoul City and the Korea Herald, the award aims to discover and encourage contributors who have aided in community development and the spread of the culture of sharing. To date, a total of 2,240 individuals or teams have been recognized.
This year’s awards will select a total of 21 recipients (or teams), including 1 grand prize, 5 excellence awards, and 15 achievement awards. Last year, in the individual category, Chun-sim Kim received the grand prize for dedicating over 20,000 hours to serving the elderly and the hearing-impaired over 25 years. In the group category, the Jungnang-gu Beauty Volunteers won for providing beauty services as gifts to medically vulnerable groups for 20 years.
Nominees can be individuals or organizations that have engaged in volunteer activities in various fields, such as sharing, culture, and human rights, contributing to the support of social minorities. Recommendations can be made for citizens or entities that have resided or operated businesses in Seoul for over three years as of the announcement date.
Recommendations can be submitted by administrative bodies or registered private organizations. Unregistered individuals or groups can also be nominated if they attach a recommendation letter signed by 30 citizens. Required documents include a record of merits, a recommendation letter, a summary of achievements, a consent form, a personal information consent form, and evidence of achievements. Forms for these documents can be downloaded from the Seoul City website.
Submissions can be made via in-person visits, postal mail, or online through the Seoul City website. Following this, a fact-finding investigation and a review by a committee of external experts will finalize the award recipients. Winners will be honored at the awards ceremony scheduled for this October.
Jong-bin Kwak, Director of Seoul City’s Administrative Bureau, stated, “The citizens who work diligently behind the scenes are the driving force of the Seoul community,” emphasizing the hope that many citizens will nominate those who share their volunteering stories widely.