'1,000 Won of Love' program funds medical, living costs

Launched in 2016, cumulative donations reach 330 million won this year

Kim Seon-gu, a manager on LG Uplus's South Jeolla public and corporate customer team, Hwang Mi-gyeong, head of Yongbang-myeon, and Yang Jae-so, chair of the Yongbang-myeon Community Social Security Council, pose for a photo at a donation ceremony held Wednesday at the Yongbang-myeon office in Gurye-gun, South Jeolla Province. [LG Uplus]
Kim Seon-gu, a manager on LG Uplus's South Jeolla public and corporate customer team, Hwang Mi-gyeong, head of Yongbang-myeon, and Yang Jae-so, chair of the Yongbang-myeon Community Social Security Council, pose for a photo at a donation ceremony held Wednesday at the Yongbang-myeon office in Gurye-gun, South Jeolla Province. [LG Uplus]

LG Uplus will donate 5 million won ($3,730) — collected voluntarily by its employees — to a household in South Jeolla Province where a spinal cord injury patient is undergoing long-term treatment and rehabilitation.

The company said Thursday it would deliver the funds to the family of a spinal cord injury patient, identified only as Mr. A, living in Gurye-gun, South Jeolla Province, through its employee-driven giving program "1,000 Won of Love."

Before his accident, Mr. A drove a taxi for passengers with mobility difficulties and spent more than 20 years volunteering in his community — participating in local events and offering services such as knife-sharpening for neighbors in need.

He suffered serious injuries in a fall in February and has since undergone surgery, hospitalization and rehabilitation. The extended treatment forced him to take a leave of absence, and his spouse also quit work to care for him, cutting off the household's income entirely. Monthly hospital, caregiving and living expenses of between 2.5 million and 3 million won have added to the financial strain.

LG Uplus plans to use the 5 million won in employee donations to cover Mr. A's medical bills and living costs. The support was arranged through Baroit, an online corporate social responsibility platform operated by the Korea Council of Social Welfare.

Baroit connects social contribution resources offered by companies and institutions with the support needs of nonprofits, social economy organizations and other groups on the ground.

"1,000 Won of Love" is an employee participation program LG Uplus launched in 2016. Employees choose how much to donate each month, with the amount deducted directly from their salaries. The funds support people in need, including households with disabled members and the elderly. Cumulative donations have reached 330 million won this year.

"We hope the sincerity our employees have shown will give even a small measure of strength to the spinal cord injury patient and his family, who have spent so many years serving their community," said Kim Seon-gu, manager of LG Uplus's South Jeolla public and corporate customer team. "We will continue working with our employees to ensure that meaningful support reaches those who need it."

LG Uplus also donated about 5 million won in July through "1,000 Won of Love" to a family in crisis caring for a child with a developmental disability. That donation, made in partnership with the Milal Welfare Foundation, went to a 10-year-old child with both a severe brain condition and a developmental disability.


woo@heraldcorp.com