* 2011 Mystery of Life Award Ceremony

The Seoul Archdiocesan Committee for Life held the fifth Mystery of Life Award Ceremony at the Seoul Royal Hotel in Myeongdong, Seoul on February 15, 2011. In this ceremony, there were some 150 attendants including the Most Rev. Osvaldo Padilla, Apostolic Nuncio in Korea, the Most Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, President of this Archdiocesan Committee and Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, the Most Rev. Basil Cho Kyu-man, President of the Preparatory Committee for the Mystery of Life Award and Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, Rev. John Oh Ji-yeong, President of the Pyonghwa Broadcasting Corporation, and other priests, religious, specialists and activists on life.

The awardee for Life Science category is Prof. Kang Chang-yeol (College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University) for his contribution to developing a new immunocyte treatment for allergic asthma. The special award in Humanistics & Social Sciences category went to Prof. Gu In-hoe (Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Graduate School for Life of Catholic University of Korea) for her medical research in accordance with Catholic Church's teachings on life.

For Pro-life Activity category, Ms. Christine de Marcellus Vollmer (President of Latin American Alliance for the Family) was awarded in recognition of her commitment to protecting human life and the family and especially developing a new pedagogy to effectively teach children and young people to have right values and personality. In the same category, the special award went to Mr. Yun Gyeong-joong (Manager of the One-body One-sprit Movement) because of his distinguished service to the pro-life movement such as nationwide campaigns for organ donation and for suicide prevention.

In his greeting remarks, Bishop Yeom said, "I appreciate you, four awardees, on your important services to protect the dignity of human life and build the culture of life against the culture of death. I also expect your constant efforts in this area."