Samsung Hope Didimdol Chungbuk Center Opens... "Hoping to Be a Bridge Connecting Youth Preparing for Independence with the World"

Located in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk
Equipped with independent living facilities, experience centers, and educational spaces
Established 15 sites in 12 local governments nationwide
Samsung launched 'Samsung Hope Stepping Stone 2.0' last year

The 'Samsung Hope Didimdol' Chungbuk Center, which supports housing stability for youth preparing for independence in the Chungbuk region, opened its doors on the 26th.

Attendees at the opening ceremony of the Samsung Hope Stepping Stone Chungbuk Center held on the 26th in Cheongju, Chungbuk, are watching an introductory video about the Hope Stepping Stone project. Photo by Samsung Electronics

The Hope Didimdol Chungbuk Center, located in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, is equipped with 15 independent living rooms, 5 independent experience rooms, and spaces for educational activities. The operation is managed by the Chungbuk Child Welfare Association. Youth preparing for independence aged 18 and over can live in a single room in the independent living quarters for up to two years. Adolescents aged 15 to 18, whose protection in child welfare facilities or foster families is about to end, can stay for a few days in the independent experience rooms to pre-experience independent living.

About 100 people attended the opening ceremony, including youth preparing for independence residing at the Chungbuk Center, Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Yeon-hee and Song Jae-bong, Chungbuk Governor Kim Young-hwan, Chairman Kim Byung-jun of the Community Chest of Korea, and Park Seung-hee, President of Samsung Electronics CR. Attendees expressed their expectations that the Hope Didimdol Center will become a reliable home where youth preparing for independence can focus on preparing for independence without worrying about housing.

Park Seung-hee, President of Samsung Electronics CR, said, "Chungcheongbuk-do plays a role like a bridge connecting all roads at the center of Korea," adding, "We hope the Hope Didimdol Chungbuk Center will become a bridge connecting youth preparing for independence with the world."

He continued, "We hope that young people receive abundant social interest and love here and establish themselves as confident adults," and added, "Samsung strongly supports the youth who will move toward a new future here."

The Hope Didimdol Centers have been established in 15 locations across 12 local governments, starting with Busan in 2016 and including the newly opened Chungbuk Center. Next year, an Incheon Center will be added.

The center helps youth preparing for independence focus on preparing for the future by solving one of the biggest burdens before entering society: housing issues. It supports youth independence through basic daily life knowledge such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing, as well as basic economic education including finance and asset management, career counseling, and job placement. Since 2016 through the third quarter of this year, a total of 37,840 youth preparing for independence and adolescents have been supported nationwide at Hope Didimdol Centers, including residents.

In August last year, Samsung launched the 'Samsung Hope Didimdol 2.0' project to support youth in building technical and functional skills for economic independence by providing job training in various fields. Since the project’s launch, 43 out of 91 trainees have successfully found employment by the third quarter of this year, achieving a cumulative employment rate of 47.3%.

Hope Didimdol is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative started in 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 'Samsung New Management' declaration, funded by donations from Samsung Electronics employees who contributed ideas and money. Based on 25 billion KRW in employee donations, the center began operations in 2016, and to continue the employees’ intentions, the company added 25 billion KRW in support in 2019 to expand the project’s reach.

Samsung employees actively participate as mentors in Hope Didimdol, sharing their experiences and know-how and providing career and job mentoring as part of their talent donation activities. Hope Didimdol is also a project that embodies the 'Together' philosophy of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who values win-win cooperation with society.