Hyundai Motor Group holds 'i-CARE UP' event to support mental recovery of child protection workers

Hyundai Motor Group announced Thursday that it held the i-CARE UP event from June 8 to 10 at the Olympic Parktel in Seoul, bringing together child protection agency workers from across the country for a two-night, three-day program.

Now in its third year, the i-CARE UP event was designed to support the psychological recovery and professional development of workers at child protection agencies who deal directly with abused children and perpetrators.

Hyundai Motor Group invited 100 counselors and therapists from 57 child protection agencies nationwide and offered a range of wellness programs aimed at easing job-related fatigue and helping participants recharge — including theater performances and visits to local attractions, tailored stress management sessions, and a terrarium-making workshop.

In addition, the event gave participants opportunities to build professional skills and expertise through a speaker lecture on counseling techniques and a field-oriented legal education session.

Psychiatrist Dr. Oh Eun-young delivered the keynote lecture on the first day of the event, covering the care and counseling of child abuse victims and leading an open question-and-answer session in which workers shared cases from their own experience.

On the final day, attorney Kim Young-mi, a specialist in domestic cases including child abuse, lectured on practical legal knowledge — covering legal terminology, case reporting procedures, the roles involved at each stage of case handling, and legal liability.

Hyundai Motor Group has run its i-CARE project since 2014, focusing on building a comprehensive support system for abused children. The initiative includes i-CARE Car, which provides dedicated vehicles for the immediate removal of children from dangerous situations and for psychological counseling, and i-CARE Home, which supports the renovation of shelters where children in need reside.

"We will continue to support the psychological recovery and professional development of child protection agency workers, and will keep making diverse efforts to ensure that children who have suffered abuse can grow up in a safe environment," a Hyundai Motor Group official said.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group also annually provides recovery support vehicles and rehabilitation equipment to firefighters at disaster scenes to help prevent overwork and burnout and support their physical and mental recuperation, as part of the company's broader social contribution efforts across multiple fields.