Medical staff conduct health screenings for local residents at the event. [Provided by Coupang Inc]
Medical staff conduct health screenings for local residents at the event. [Provided by Coupang Inc]

Coupang Inc said it ran its mobile health screening program, "Coupang Ondongnae Care," a community outreach health service, at the gymnasium of the Second Hana Center in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, on Wednesday. The Second Hana Center, Hwacheon-gun and the Korean Central Medical Volunteer Association co-hosted the event.

The Second Hana Center supports North Korean defectors who have settled in the local community, as well as area residents. The event was organized ahead of the center's planned opening to the broader community, with the aim of expanding exchanges between defectors and local residents. About 600 people took part — roughly 550 local residents, including about 200 children and teenagers, and about 50 North Korean defectors.

A team of 40 medical professionals affiliated with the Korean Central Medical Volunteer Association — including physicians, traditional Korean medicine doctors, dentists and pharmacists — provided services ranging from general medical care, such as blood tests and intravenous drips, to dental and traditional medicine consultations. A mobile portrait studio was also on hand, offering commemorative photos as gifts to attendees.

The opening ceremony was attended by Jang Young-chul, executive vice president of Coupang Inc's corporate social responsibility division; Kim Nam-jung, vice minister of the Ministry of Unification; Kim Young-il, director of the Second Hana Center; Kim Se-hun, Hwacheon-gun county chief; Jo Ung-hee, speaker of the Hwacheon County Council; Park Dae-hyun, a Gangwon Province lawmaker; Song Jong-seop, director of the Gangwon Northern Hana Center; and Lee Eun-woo, president of the Korean Central Medical Volunteer Association. National Assembly member Han Ki-ho delivered congratulatory remarks via video message.

"The purpose of Ondongnae Care is to go directly to areas with limited access to medical services and provide residents with the healthcare they need," a Coupang Inc corporate social responsibility official said. "We will continue to work closely with local communities and carry out social contribution activities that make a real difference in the everyday health of residents."

Key attendees, including Vice Minister of Unification Kim Nam-jung, Hwacheon-gun County Chief Kim Se-hun and Coupang Inc Executive Vice President Jang Young-chul, pose for a commemorative photo at the event held at the Second Hana Center. [Provided by Coupang Inc]
Key attendees, including Vice Minister of Unification Kim Nam-jung, Hwacheon-gun County Chief Kim Se-hun and Coupang Inc Executive Vice President Jang Young-chul, pose for a commemorative photo at the event held at the Second Hana Center. [Provided by Coupang Inc]

andy@heraldcorp.com