Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon O-eul (left) and GS Retail CEO Heo Seo-hong pose for a photo after signing an MOU to support national merit holders and promote a culture of honoring veterans at the Memorial Hall of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. [GS Retail]
Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon O-eul (left) and GS Retail CEO Heo Seo-hong pose for a photo after signing an MOU to support national merit holders and promote a culture of honoring veterans at the Memorial Hall of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. [GS Retail]

GS Retail announced Friday it has signed an MOU with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to expand social contribution activities aimed at honoring and supporting national merit holders.

The agreement, titled the "Patriots and Veterans Social Contribution MOU," was signed Thursday at the Memorial Hall of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, with Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon O-eul and GS Retail CEO Heo Seo-hong in attendance.

The MOU builds on a decade of "love for the nation" initiatives GS Retail has carried out since launching a Dokdo awareness campaign in 2017, formalizing those efforts into an ongoing social contribution program. The company has also designated veterans support as one of its core social contribution themes this year.

Under the agreement, GS Retail and the ministry plan to pursue three initiatives: practical support for national merit holders and their families, activities to raise awareness of the contributions of independence movement figures, and employee volunteer programs.

As a first step, GS Retail will support the installation of smart information boards as part of the ministry's "Seeing Independence Merit Holders Clearly" project. The boards provide the public with information on the lives and achievements of lesser-known independence movement contributors.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has installed smart information boards at more than 50 gravesites of independence merit holders since August. GS Retail plans to fund the installation of boards at 18 additional gravesites located outside national cemeteries.

The company will also provide daily necessities and food to national merit holders and their families, and will work with the Independence Hall of Korea to give children from immigrant backgrounds opportunities to learn about and experience the history of the independence movement.

GS Retail will also formalize regular volunteer activities for its employees. The company plans to use its nationwide stores — including GS25 and GS The Fresh locations — as well as its mobile app to continue raising awareness of veterans commemorations and the contributions of independence movement figures.


korean@heraldcorp.com