Hanwha Galleria & Hotel Donate 120 Million Won to Support Low-Income Pediatric Patients

Business Agreement with Seoul National University Hospital

Hanwha Galleria and Hanwha Hotels & Resorts are launching a social contribution project to support medical expenses for low-income pediatric patients and provide rest for their caregiving families.

According to the distribution industry on the 16th, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University Hospital on the 14th, delivering 120 million KRW in medical support funds for low-income families with pediatric patients. Attendees at the signing ceremony included Kim Young-hoon, CEO of Hanwha Galleria; Kim Hyung-jo, CEO of Hanwha Hotels & Resorts; and Choi Eun-hwa, Director of Seoul National University Children's Hospital.

Kim Young-hoon, CEO of Hanwha Galleria (from the left), Choi Eun-hwa, Director of Seoul National University Children's Hospital, and Kim Hyung-jo, CEO of Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the "It's Okay to Take a Break" project at Seoul National University Hospital on the 14th and are taking a commemorative photo.

This integrated social contribution project was prepared to help families exhausted from long-term caregiving to rest, while raising awareness about the importance of rest throughout society. The project name, "It’s Okay to Take a Break," conveys this purpose along with a message encouraging rest in daily life.

According to statistics from Seoul National University Hospital, parents caring for severely ill children spend an average of 14 hours per day on caregiving, with personal rest time barely exceeding one hour. Most stay by the patient’s side all day due to anxiety over worsening conditions. Professor Kim Min-sun of the Department of Pediatrics, who participated in the study, emphasized, “Families caring for severely ill children often face physical difficulties such as sleep deprivation and are socially and psychologically isolated due to long-term caregiving. Rest from caregiving is essential for the sustainable life of both the child and the family.”

The core of the "It’s Okay to Take a Break" project is to help families have a “short but complete rest” separated from the pediatric patient. While caregiving families stay and travel at Hanwha hotels (4 locations) and resorts (9 locations) nationwide, including Seoul, Gangwon, and Jeju, the pediatric patients are admitted to the Nexus Children’s Integrated Care Center under Seoul National University Hospital for care. Opened in November last year, the center provides short-term medical services for severely ill children. Reflecting expert opinions that temporary separation and rest from caregiving are necessary for families to fully rest, the project partnered with Seoul National University Hospital.

The "It’s Okay to Take a Break" program targets users of the center, and families wishing to participate can apply through the hospital starting this month. Full support will begin in the second half of this year (June to December). Nationwide hotel and resort stays are available for up to two nights, with access to facilities and breakfast service provided. Support also includes private brand (PB) products produced by Galleria Gourmet 494 and Hotel & Resort The Plaza. After the trip, premium food sets from Galleria will be provided four times a year to help maintain the health of caregiving families. The internal environment will also be improved, such as refreshing the children’s ward interior each season to bring vitality.

Kim Young-hoon, CEO of Hanwha Galleria, said, “Through the ‘It’s Okay to Take a Break’ project, families caring for pediatric patients who have been in a rest blind spot can now have a moment to recharge. We will continue various activities to provide ongoing support for families with pediatric patients and to widely promote the importance of rest.”