SK Innovation hosts career experience event for children with cancer

SK Innovation held the "2026 KidZania Experience with Pediatric Cancer Children and Their Families" at KidZania Seoul in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday in partnership with the Korea Leukemia Children's Foundation, the company announced Wednesday.

The event was designed to help children with leukemia and other pediatric cancers — whose opportunities for social experiences are limited by prolonged treatment — explore future career paths through hands-on activities. SK Innovation reserved the entire venue so the program could run in a safe environment, a precaution taken because infection control is critical for the children.

About 400 patients and their family members attended, along with SK Innovation employee volunteers and social workers from the Korea Leukemia Children's Foundation.

The children tried out a range of careers — firefighter, police officer, flight attendant, chef and researcher — at the career experience facilities inside KidZania. The event also gave them time for group activities and social interaction that are difficult to access during extended treatment.

SK Innovation volunteers assisted the children with activities and getting around the venue, with some children receiving one-on-one support. Volunteers also ran activity booths — offering tattoo stickers, Lego keyring making and keycap crafting — to connect with the children.

SK Innovation has run a treatment cost support program for children with leukemia and pediatric cancer for 19 consecutive years through its "1% Happy Sharing Fund," which employees voluntarily contribute to by donating 1 percent of their base salary. The program has provided about 6.7 billion won ($4.36 million) to support treatment for 700 children with incurable diseases. In 2024, the company also launched a wish-fulfillment volunteer corps for children with serious illnesses.

"We hope this was a time for the children to nurture their dreams and hopes for the future through career experiences," an SK Innovation official said. "We will continue our social contribution activities so that the next generation can grow up healthy and stay connected to society."