A corporate social responsibility project to improve access to daily necessities

Two PV5 Cargo vehicles to deliver goods to community halls and senior centers

Service to cover 7 townships and 65 villages in Sunchang-gun

From left: Oh Su-hwan, chairman of the Sunchang-gun Council; Choi Young-il, Sunchang-gun county chief; Jin Myeong-gi, director general of the Local Government Innovation Office at the Ministry of Interior and Safety; Lee Deok-hyeon, head of Kia's Sustainability Management Division; Shin Jeong-won, head of the Corporate Social Responsibility Cooperation Division at ChildFund Korea; and Lee Ji-seong, administrative vice governor of North Jeolla Province, pose for a photo. [Provided by Kia]
From left: Oh Su-hwan, chairman of the Sunchang-gun Council; Choi Young-il, Sunchang-gun county chief; Jin Myeong-gi, director general of the Local Government Innovation Office at the Ministry of Interior and Safety; Lee Deok-hyeon, head of Kia's Sustainability Management Division; Shin Jeong-won, head of the Corporate Social Responsibility Cooperation Division at ChildFund Korea; and Lee Ji-seong, administrative vice governor of North Jeolla Province, pose for a photo. [Provided by Kia]

Kia is expanding the reach of its corporate social responsibility project "Move to You," which aims to improve food access in underserved communities.

Kia announced Sunday that it held an expansion launch event for the program Friday at Dasi Cheongjungwan, a community living hub in Ingye-myeon, Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province. The event was attended by officials from Kia, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, North Jeolla Province and Sunchang-gun, as well as local residents.

"Move to You" is a delivery service that uses the PV5 Cargo — a low-floor vehicle with ample cargo space — to bring food and daily necessities to elderly residents in areas at risk of depopulation, where a shortage of grocery stores makes purchasing essential goods difficult.

Kia launched the project following an MOU it signed with the Ministry of Interior and Safety in March to address regional depopulation. After an initial rollout in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province in July, the program is now expanding to Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province.

Sunchang-gun was selected as an additional operating area given that a significant number of its townships lack supermarkets or convenience stores, and residents aged 65 and older account for nearly half the county's total population.

Kia will deploy two PV5 Cargo vehicles to serve seven townships and 65 villages where access to food and daily necessities is limited and the share of residents aged 65 or older is high.

The vehicles will deliver goods to accessible community hubs such as village halls and senior centers, where residents can purchase items at reasonable prices.

Drawing on experience and know-how gained in Uiseong-gun, Kia plans to tailor its service to the specific conditions and needs of Sunchang-gun residents.

In addition, the company plans to link the program with integrated care initiatives to promote social interaction among the elderly and help revitalize local communities.

"By expanding 'Move to You' to more regions, we are now able to help elderly residents in a greater number of communities," said Lee Deok-hyeon, executive director of Kia's Sustainability Management Division. "We will continue to fulfill our social responsibilities by improving living conditions for residents in depopulating areas and contributing to solutions for regional decline."

Meanwhile, Kia recently signed an MOU on building a PBV-based future mobility industry ecosystem at its Autoland Gwangju plant with the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city authority, Chonnam National University and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology to pilot purpose-built vehicle (PBV) technologies including autonomous driving shuttles and remote operation.


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