HD Hyundai foundation showcases biological specimens made by people with severe disabilities

By Park Hye-won, The Herald Business

HD Hyundai announced Tuesday that it is co-hosting an exhibition showcasing biological specimens made by people with severe disabilities, in collaboration with the National Assembly.

The HD Hyundai 1% Sharing Foundation is jointly hosting the exhibition with the Korea National Park Service and six lawmakers — National Assembly Vice Speaker Nam In-soon and Assembly members Kim Ye-ji, Kim Nam-hee, Kim Tae-seon, Seo Mi-hwa and Jo Ji-yeon. The exhibition runs through Thursday in the second lobby of the National Assembly members' office building.

The foundation and the Korea National Park Service have spent the past three years running a program to train and employ people with severe disabilities as biological specimen makers, supporting their participation in natural resource surveys and documentation activities in national parks. The exhibition features insect specimens, plant specimens and acrylic pressed-flower specimens made by the participants, organized under four themes — Dream, Coexistence, Sharing and Seeds of Leap.

The HD Hyundai 1% Sharing Foundation donated 200 million won ($130,000) per year for three years starting in 2023, contributing a total of 600 million won to the program. Through the initiative, 20 trainees with disabilities and 24 employed workers with disabilities took part in specimen-making courses and work programs.

Participants built expertise by sorting more than 10,000 insects per week, and in 2020 they identified a previously unrecorded species, the bronze click beetle.

"This exhibition shows that the biological specimens made with dedication and expertise by people with severe disabilities can serve as invaluable records that document and protect our natural environment," a foundation official said. "We will continue to provide meaningful support where it is needed most."