Dentist among Korea’s top honorees

South Korea: Sister Park Jeong-sook, a Korean dentist and catholic nun who works at the Eumseong Kkottongnae Ingok Loyalty Hospital received the National Order of Civil Merit Peony in recognition of her long-standing contributions serving the dental needs of the underprivileged in Korea and overseas. 

Sister Park was awarded one of the nation’s highest recognitions in the healthcare sector by the Ministry of Health and Welfare during the ’50th Health Day Commemoration Ceremony’.

 In addition to her outstanding dental contributions and work among the underprivileged in Korea, she was acknowledged by the Health Ministry for providing free dental services to overseas patients the Philippines and West Africa.

Since graduating from the Jeonnam Dental University in 1990, Sister Park has served as a dentist for global charities such as the Kkottongnae House of Love in Bangladesh, the House of Sarang in Manila, Philippines, and West Africa since 2004.

She was also the 2012 recipient of the Dental Person of the Year award, which is given to dentists who made the most significant contributions in the year as determined by members of the Korean Dental Association.

Other award recipients at this year’s Health Day commemoration ceremony include: Jong-cheol Lee, former director of Changwon City Health Center (National Medal of Merit Camellia; Sang-deok Lee, director of Hana Otolaryngology Hospital (National Medal of Merit Mokryun); Kwang-hoon Kim, President of the Pediatric Diabetes Association (National Medal of Merit Pomegranate); Hyunsoo Kim, director of the Korean Medicine Clinic (National Medal of Merit Pomegranate.

Additional awards were handed to 244 people of merit who contributed to the nation’s development of health and medical care.

Among those who delivered congratulatory messages at the 50th anniversary ceremony were the Korean Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom; National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Kim Min-seok, and National Health Insurance Corporation Chairman Kang Do-tae.  In attendance were the heads of 27 related organizations and associations.

In his video message, Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom said: “All health and medical personnel have been able to prepare for a return to a healthy daily life because they have taken care of the people while resolutely fighting the risk of infection with COVID-19. We will do our best to help you enjoy a good social and healthy life.”