Seoul City-SBW Group Support 130,000 Winter Underwear and Undergarments for Homeless and Jjokbangchon Residents

In April of this year, residents of the jjokbangchon struggling due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lined up in the alleys of Donui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul to receive free meals provided by the Salvation Army. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the morning of the 11th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will sign a business agreement at the City Hall main building with SBW Group, the Seoul Metropolitan Social Welfare Council, and the Seoul Homeless Facilities Association to improve the hygiene and health environment of homeless people and residents of jjokbangchon (small room villages).

Since 2012, Seoul has been promoting the "Homeless Clothing Support Project." The items supported by SBW Group this time include general underwear, thermal underwear, masks, and a total of 131,018 items, amounting to approximately 1 billion KRW, making it the largest single corporate sponsorship for the homeless to date.

The donation items from Ssangbangwool Co., Ltd., which mainly consist of men's clothing, will be primarily distributed to street homeless facilities through the Seoul Homeless Facilities Association. The donation items from Vivian Co., Ltd., which mainly consist of women's clothing, will be partially distributed to women's homeless facilities and jjokbangchon, and the remaining quantity will be supported to vulnerable groups and low-income citizens in 25 autonomous districts through the Seoul Metropolitan Social Welfare Council (Seoul Metropolitan Food Bank).

Seoul plans to establish a continuous sponsorship relationship through the agreement to ensure that this project is not a one-time event.

Gu Ja-kwon, Executive Vice Chairman of SBW Group, said, "I hope that through this agreement and the delivery of goods, not only clean and high-quality clothing but also warm hearts can be conveyed to the homeless and jjokbang residents."