Korea Yakult Leads Social Contribution by Expanding 'Care for Elderly Living Alone' Program

- Korea Yakult Signs MOU with Cheonan City
- Health Drink Delivery and Welfare Check Program for Elderly Living Alone Implemented

Korea Yakult is taking the lead in fulfilling corporate social responsibility by expanding its ‘Care Activities for Elderly Living Alone.’

Korea Yakult and the Korea Yakult Social Welfare Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cheonan City Community Welfare Council and Baekseok University for a local ‘Care Project for Elderly Living Alone.’

Attending the signing ceremony were Han Kyung-taek, Chairman of the Korea Yakult Welfare Foundation; Choi Min-gyu, Branch Manager of Korea Yakult’s Chungcheong Branch; Park Sang-don, Mayor of Cheonan; and Song Ki-shin, Vice President of Baekseok University.

Through this agreement, Fresh Managers will visit 300 elderly people living alone in Cheonan City three times a week to check on their well-being while delivering health drinks. This aims to prevent unexpected incidents such as solitary deaths. The Korea Yakult Social Welfare Foundation will support the operating costs, and Baekseok University will manage the budget execution.

Both parties expect this project to play a key role in establishing a support system for elderly people living alone in the community, especially as the need for social safety nets for vulnerable groups has increased due to COVID-19.

Lee Won-jun, Customer-Centered Team Leader at Korea Yakult, said, “The ‘Care Activities for Elderly Living Alone,’ which began in 1994, is one of Korea Yakult’s representative social contribution activities, benefiting 30,000 people. We will do our best to support elderly people living alone to alleviate their emotional loneliness and economic burdens through this agreement.”

Meanwhile, Korea Yakult is expanding collaboration with local governments for more systematic social contribution activities. In April, it increased the number of elderly care recipients in Daegu City from 500 to 1,000. To address food insecurity among vulnerable groups, it is also partnering with Jung-gu Office in Seoul to deliver its ready-to-eat products to 100 low-income disabled individuals.