Korea Racing Authority, Win-Win Practice Across Life Cycle of Horse Industry from Children to Youth to Elderly

Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam, Korea's First Customized Social Contribution

Korea Racing Authority Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam (Head 엄영석) is operating a distinguished social responsibility practice process as a public enterprise dedicated to the horse industry.

Since its opening in 2005, it has established a company-wide volunteer system by launching the Korea Racing Authority Angels Volunteer Group, conducting social contribution activities almost year-round instead of one-time events at the end and beginning of the year.

Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam is gaining attention for systematizing customized social contribution activities by life cycle using the horse industry for the first time in Korea. Life cycle social contributions are carried out diversely for all generations, from elementary school students' horse industry job experiences to matchmaking events for unmarried men and women through horseback riding, and horse therapy for vulnerable groups and elderly care. It is evaluated as having upgraded social contribution content by utilizing the company's essential business in a unique way.

Life cycle social contributions proceed in three stages using the horse industry, from encounters in life to the twilight years. In the first stage, youth, it helped youth, a key factor in low birth rates, with meetings and marriages through horses. Starting with "Masaengyeonbun," which arranges meetings for unmarried men and women through horseback riding, it supported "Wedding Photography with Horses" to help those who bear the fruits of such meetings.

In the second stage, childhood, the horse industry was integrated into childcare and education to reduce childcare burdens and create a society conducive to raising children. The "Dream Start Project," conducted with Gangseo-gu Office in Busan, shared the difficulties of vulnerable childcare families, and horseback riding classes conducted with Gimhae Women's Human Resources Development Center helped women who had career interruptions due to childbirth and childcare regain confidence and return to society.

Also, through participation in the Neulbom School program, one of the government's key tasks, the first educational donation in the horse industry was carried out. An MOU was signed with Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, inviting children to Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam to operate horse industry job experience programs. The popular classes were extended repeatedly, with a total of 326 students from 21 schools participating in the program, and a certificate of appreciation was awarded by the Busan Office of Education for spreading a culture of love for education.

In the final twilight stage, it extended its reach to elderly care, which has become a social issue due to the entry into a super-aged society. Through comprehensive welfare centers, 50 grandparent-grandchild families were invited to provide time to strengthen family cohesion, and elderly residents of the Elderly Protection Center visited Let's Run Park to spend time with horses.

The horse therapy, now in its third year, continued. In cooperation with five local hospitals, it helped the physical and mental recovery of patients undergoing treatment. It also implemented a project that utilized horses as they are, breaking away from the stereotype of horses as merely animals to ride.

Since 2022, the animal-assisted healing program "Horse Therapy" has been loved by local residents, confirming various possibilities of the horse industry. Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam began planning the program from early 2024 and entered consultations with various institutions, cooperating with 40 organizations including local governments and education offices, supporting social contribution programs for over 1,000 people this year alone.

A Korea Racing Authority official said, "We have tried to establish a new direction and solution for social contribution activities to solve low birth rates and aging problems using the horse industry," adding, "We plan to continuously research and develop to build a life cycle social contribution horse industry operation model that can be operated in the private sector."