SK Innovation Wins Grand Prize in Social Integration Category at the '2022 Disabled First Practice Awards'

From Volunteer Activities to Music Festivals for People with Developmental Disabilities
Social Contributions Including Employment Programs and Prosthetic Limb Support

SK Innovation received the "Grand Prize in the Social Integration Category" at the "2022 Practice First for the Disabled Awards" ceremony held at the Seoul Women's Plaza in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. From the left in the photo are Lee Soo-sung, Chairman of the Practice First for the Disabled Movement Headquarters, and Lim Soo-gil, Head of the Value Creation Center at SK Innovation. Photo by SK Innovation

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] SK Innovation announced on the 2nd that it received the Social Integration Division Grand Prize at the '2022 Disabled Persons First Practice Award' ceremony hosted by the Corporation for the Promotion of Disabled Persons First Practice Movement. This award is given to individuals and organizations that have exemplary practices in improving awareness of disabled persons and social integration education.

The Disabled Persons First Practice Award was established in 1996 by the Disabled Persons First Practice Movement Headquarters to commemorate the UN-designated "International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3rd)" and is held annually. The award ceremony took place on the 29th of last month at the Seoul Women's Plaza in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.

In this year's evaluation, SK Innovation's employees' consistent and voluntary activities were highly praised. The employees were recognized for actively participating in social contribution activities that create social value, such as volunteer work to improve awareness of disabled persons and various support projects.

Over the past 10 years, SK Innovation has continued various volunteer activities targeting elderly living alone and persons with developmental disabilities. Since 2017, through the "Happy Dream Eye" program, which matches employees one-on-one with children with disabilities to help build interpersonal relationships, they have conducted talent donation volunteer activities in sports, leisure, and cultural arts. Including this, a total of 9,763 employees have participated so far, supporting 30,759 children with developmental disabilities.

The employees voluntarily donate 1% of their basic salary to create the "1% Happiness Sharing" fund. Through this, over the past 10 years, they have supported the production and repair costs of prosthetic limbs for 131 amputees and have continuously promoted the "Career Jump-up Class," a program supporting employment and job retention for the independence of persons with developmental disabilities. Together with the Heart-Heart Foundation, they also hold the largest nationwide music festival for persons with developmental disabilities in Korea, the "Great Music Festival," annually.

An SK Innovation official said, "We are pleased that the sincerity of various activities contributing to disabled persons discovering their potential and creating sustainable happiness has been recognized," adding, "SK Innovation will continue to strive together with our employees to fulfill the corporate social responsibility of creating a society where everyone lives together."