Professor BAEK Rong-Min with child patients in Vietnam

2016 marks the twenty-first year of voluntary service for SNU Professor BAEK Rong-Min, who has been working through the Smile for Children organization to give free surgeries to children with facial deformities in Vietnam. According to SNU’s Bundang Hospital, Professor Baek has been giving free surgeries to children with facial deformities in Hanoi this year from June 12 to 18 with the SK Group, one of the largest corporations in South Korea.

Founded in 1996, Smile for Children has been travelling to different parts of the globe to help youth with facial deformities. Including the surgeries performed this year, a total of 3700 patients have received treatment.

For his great service, Professor Baek has been publicly recognized by the Vietnamese government for his long-term volunteer services and has been honored with the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award in 2014. Baek is the first Korean to receive this award.

According to Baek, “Due to financial struggles, various types of diseases are not able to be treated in many global villages. However, we will try our best to provide advanced medical technology to the host countries and to increase the number of children who receive help.”

Written by: Yu Young Jin coin1234@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by: Professor Travis Smith tlsmith@snu.ac.kr