Sangui, Late Gu Ja-kyung's Donation Welfare Center
'Sharing Project' for Vulnerable Care Groups
Gu Kwang-mo "Hope Social Interest Continues"
Park Jeong-won "Support for Welfare Blind Spots"
LG and Doosan Group are taking the lead in supporting ‘caregiving families’ with a generous sponsorship of approximately 2.5 billion KRW.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s New Entrepreneurial Spirit Council (ERT) visited the Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center on the 3rd to discuss the need for social attention to caregiving families and announced the support details from the two groups. On this day, Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, and Park Jung-won, Chairman of Doosan Group, visited the care welfare site. Lee Ki-il, First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Kang Cheol-won, Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Seoul, and Cho Sang-mi, Director of the Central Social Service Agency, also participated.
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, Park Jung-won, Chairman of Doosan, and other attendees are listening to an explanation about the "Current Status and Support Needs of Caregiving" at the 4th Together Sharing Project held on the 3rd at Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry [Image source=Yonhap News]
This visit was planned as part of the ‘Together Sharing Project’ by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ERT, which empathizes with the need to support caregiving families. The Together Sharing Project is a representative practical initiative by ERT companies to solve social problems, having supported firefighter welfare (1st round), crisis youth independence (2nd round), and local child care infrastructure (3rd round) last year.
The Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, where the event was held, was built in 1992 and donated to Seodaemun-gu by the late Koo Ja-kyung, Honorary Chairman of LG. Before the main event, the business leaders received explanations about the welfare center’s history and toured the interior.
Chairman Choi Tae-won, who was served coffee from the welfare center’s caf? operated with know-how received from Starbucks, nodded and said, "It tastes good."
Chairman Koo Kwang-mo said, "It feels even more meaningful to hold the event at the welfare center donated by my grandfather (the late Honorary Chairman Koo Ja-kyung) over 30 years ago," adding, "I hope the family shelter will be helpful to pediatric cancer patients and their guardians, and I wish that social interest and support will continue so that children, the future generation, can grow up healthily."
The business leaders participated in a talk concert with caregiving stakeholders to review the status of vulnerable families in caregiving and discuss the need for support.
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, and Park Jung-won, Chairman of Doosan, attended the 4th Together Sharing Project held on the 3rd at Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and took a commemorative photo with key attendees. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry [Image source=Yonhap News]
Attendees including representatives from the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation and Naeum Pediatric Cancer Center, a young adult cancer survivor, and families of patients expressed the realistic difficulties faced by young caregiving family members and pediatric cancer patients, emphasizing the need for support to ensure no blind spots.
Chairman Choi Tae-won said, "The theme of today’s event, family caregiving and care, is a very important issue that requires attention, and I find it especially meaningful to hold this event in May, the month of family." He added, "I hope this event will increase social interest in caregiving and care issues and expand public and private support. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry will also increase support together with ERT companies," promising continued efforts.
Doosan Chairman Park Jung-won said, "I am pleased to participate in this meaningful event," and expressed hope that interest and support for those in welfare blind spots would expand.
The issue of caregiving has recently emerged as a serious social problem due to economic and psychological difficulties caused by long-term family caregiving, with extreme cases such as ‘caregiving murder’ occurring. When there is a family member with a severe illness such as cancer or dementia, not only the direct costs for medical and caregiving expenses but also the difficulties of managing caregiving alongside daily household chores are significant for many.
Doosan Group has committed to continuing annual support worth 1 billion KRW for young carers nationwide. The support funds are provided to young carers who care for adult family members such as parents, grandparents, or single parents with illnesses or disabilities while continuing their studies. The funds are used for family caregiving and medical expenses, creating a learning environment, housing renovations, and heating and cooling facilities. Young carers are children and youth aged 13 to 34 who are responsible for caregiving and livelihood of family members with severe illnesses or disabilities. They are also called family caregiving youth. Doosan’s support includes not only financial assistance but also emotional support for young carers experiencing adolescence. A team of social workers called ‘Young Carer Coordinators’ will communicate regularly with young carers to provide counseling and check on their needs at school and home life.
LG Group is supporting six residential rooms worth 1.5 billion KRW at two family shelters in Seoul for families of pediatric cancer patients. To this end, LG donated 1.5 billion KRW to the Korea Leukemia Children’s Foundation, a specialized pediatric cancer support foundation, to operate family shelters for pediatric cancer patients and their guardians. The Korea Leukemia Children’s Foundation plans to open six new family shelters near Daehangno and Gyodae using this donation. These six shelters can accommodate a total of about 4,000 patients and guardians annually. The foundation has been operating family shelters providing temporary accommodation for pediatric cancer patients and caregiving families residing in provinces. However, due to insufficient facilities compared to demand, only about 20% of the families who applied could use the shelters. With LG’s donation, the total number of family shelters will increase from 11 to 17.
Park Il-jun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "It may not be easy to prioritize the various social problems existing in our society, but the issue of family caregiving and care seems to have become an area that can no longer be postponed." He emphasized the need for support, saying, "As shown in the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s survey, the majority of the public (75.0%) have actually experienced family caregiving, and the biggest difficulties in family caregiving were the financial burden such as medical and caregiving expenses (68.5%) and the burden of managing caregiving alongside household chores (52.5%)."
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