The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on December 12, 2025, that it held the 4th Review Committee for Righteous Persons and recognized three individuals, including the late Ko Myung-ho, as righteous persons. A righteous person is someone who, in an act outside of their duty, risks their own life and body to save the life or body of another person in danger, and either dies or is injured in the process.
The righteous acts recognized by the committee are as follows. The late Ko Myung-ho witnessed an employee falling into the Han River while inspecting a drainage gate at the Hyangsan Drainage Pump Station in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on April 15, 2022. He jumped into the river to rescue the employee but unfortunately drowned. The late Sung Ji-eun handed her life jacket to a man requesting help while snorkeling at Hajodae Beach in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, on August 30, 2025, and was swept away by the waves and drowned.
The late Moon Chan-hyuk attempted to stop a friend from committing suicide by entering the sea near Geum-dong, Gunsan City, North Jeolla Province, on September 26, 2025. He was swept away by the currents and later found dead. The government will support the families of the righteous persons with compensation, funeral protection, and medical benefits.