보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Every blood donor is a true hero

 

Festival for world blood donors was held in Seoul, for the first time in East Asia.

 

- at Grand Ballroom of Seoul Plaza Hotel at 10:30 am on 14 Jun. (Thur.) -

-Opening announcement was given by Captain Seok, Hae Gyun and the event was attended by the representatives of international organizations that designated World Blood Donor Day as well as blood donors of national merit, etc.

 

Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Rim, Chae Min) and Korean Red Cross (President Yoo, Joong Geun) held a celebration of the 2012 World Blood Donor Day Worldwide Event at Grand Ballroom of Seoul Plaza Hotel on 14 June jointly with WHO, IFRC, IFBDO and ISBT. 

 

The celebration held under the theme of “Every blood donor is a hero” was attended by around 350 guests including Minister of Health and Welfare Rim, Chae Min, President of Korean Red Cross Yoo, Joong Geun and Director of WHO West Pacific Regional Office Shin, Young Soo as well as the representatives of international organizations that designated World Blood Donor Day and people from related organizations.

 

※「World Blood Donor Day」is a day of celebration to emphasize the importance of blood donation and express appreciation to donors and this day was designated in 2004 by four international organizations related to the blood donation movement.

 

Captain Seok, Hae Gyun, a hero of Gulf of Aden, gave an opening announcement at the

celebration and blood donors who have been leading the life-sharing movement and blood

donation organizations of merit (group) were awarded with the Health and Welfare Ministerial

Citations. A message of appreciation was given by a Gag Concert team called “Thank You” and

other various celebratory performances were provided.

 

Thirty individual blood donors received the Health and Welfare Ministerial Citation including Major

Jo, Gwan Haeng from Airforce Education and Training Command who made a great contribution

to spreading the blood donation culture by donating blood himself around 300 times and teaching

new recruits the importance of blood donation, etc.

 

Nine organizations (groups) received the Ministerial Citation including Hyundai Department that

has helped blood cancer patients by carrying out a blood donation campaign regularly from 2004

and collecting blood donation cards (43, 000 pieces in total).

 

 

In the meantime, 2012 World Blood Donor Day Worldwide Event is an event hosted by a country

designated by WHO and three other international organizations each year to make known the

importance of blood donation and this was the first time for an East Asian country to host this

event. 

 

 

Korean Red Cross achieved a Guinness World Record by creating a shape of a giant blood drop

with 3,006 students from Baekseok University at Phoenix Park in Pyeongchang, Kangwondo to

celebrate this event in advance last February and held the Blood Hero campaign at Chunggye

Plaza in April.

 

 

An international academic symposium on blood donation was held on 14 June (at 14:30 at Grand

Ballroom of Seoul Plaza Hotel), followed by the lighting event of red-colored lights representing

the blood at Namsan Tower, Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, Incheon Bridge and Gwangan

Bridge. The event of throwing the first ball by blood donation heroes in several regions will be held

at four professional baseball fields (Jamsil, Mokdong, Busan and Daegu).

 

A radio show with a live audience (KBS 2FM) will be held at Blue Square Samsung Card Hall on

16 June joined by Super Junior, a blood donation honorary ambassador to convey gratitude to

blood donors who have steadily and quietly participated in blood donation.

 

Ministry of Health and Welfare said that it hoped to see the culture of life-sharing through blood

donation as the importance of voluntary, free blood donation and the appreciation for blood

donors would be emphasized, in the wake of 2012 World Blood Donor Day.