• Contributing to the Creation of Healthy Communities Through Four Decades of Work in Welfare, Education, and the Environment

 

The POSCO TJ Park Foundation (Chairman Inhwa Chang) selected Heo Won-bae, Chairman of the Bucheon Council for Sustainable Development, as the second recipient of the Cheongam Heroes Award and held an award ceremony on September 15 at POSCO Center in Seoul.

 

The Cheongam Heroes Award recognizes unsung individuals who have quietly practiced sharing and kindness in communities across Korea and spread positive influence through their actions. The recipient receives a cash prize of KRW 30 million and a commemorative plaque.

 

For more than 40 years, Chairman Heo has contributed to building healthy communities across various fields, including agriculture, welfare, education, and the environment, guided by his belief in standing alongside socially disadvantaged groups.

 

In 1982, as a young man in his twenties, Heo organized a group of young farmers practicing pesticide-free, natural farming methods in a rural village in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The group later developed into the Pureundeul Agricultural Cooperative, providing a foundation for approximately 400 producers to achieve greater economic stability through direct transactions with urban consumers.

 

He subsequently expanded his work to protecting the rights and interests of socially disadvantaged groups. Since 1985, he has served in various capacities—including committee member, board member, director, and chairperson—at numerous public-interest organizations for nearly four decades. He has also remained actively involved in local communities, working to resolve conflicts among neighbors and restore a sense of community. In education, he has nurtured future generations as a university professor and university board chairperson while working to foster a transparent and healthy educational environment. Through his involvement with a citizens’ group advocating for accessible facilities for people with disabilities, he has also championed mobility rights and improvements to the welfare system.

 

Over the past decade, Heo has focused primarily on environmental protection and local community initiatives. As Chairman of the Bucheon Council for Sustainable Development, he has led initiatives addressing climate change and conserving ecological environments. He has also established education networks connecting civil society, local universities, young adults, and elementary, middle, and high school students, thereby building a public-private-academic governance framework. These efforts were recognized in 2025 when the initiative received the Grand Prize (Ministerial Award) in a sustainable development competition, earning recognition as a model for addressing local community challenges.

 

Launched this year, the Cheongam Heroes Award is being presented for the second time. The POSCO TJ Park Foundation plans to continue identifying and recognizing unsung heroes who help sustain the warmth and solidarity of communities through their contributions on the ground.