Korea Expressway Corporation offers rehabilitation subsidies to expressway accident victims

Korea Expressway Corporation and the Expressway Scholarship Foundation announced Monday they are accepting applications for "Huimanng Deurim" (Hope Dream), a program that provides rehabilitation support to victims of expressway accidents.

Now in its fourth year, the program offers rehabilitation subsidies to people classified as having severe disabilities as a result of traffic accidents on expressways or safety incidents during expressway construction and maintenance work. Eligibility is limited to basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty households, and only accidents on expressways designated under Article 11 of the Road Act qualify.

Applications are open from Monday through Aug. 14. About 30 recipients will be selected based on priority criteria and will each receive 2 million won ($1,330), for a total of 60 million won, to be disbursed in September.

Applicants can download the required documents from the Expressway Scholarship Foundation's website and submit them by mail.

The Expressway Scholarship Foundation was established in 1996 to support families affected by traffic accidents on expressways or unexpected incidents during construction and maintenance work. Through last year, it had provided a cumulative total of 15 billion won to 8,236 beneficiaries.

The foundation provided about 13.4 billion won to 7,274 children from accident-affected families, and ran a psychological support program called "Anadrим" (Embrace), disbursing 230 million won to 155 people. It also operated "Stand Up," an employment support program, spending 300 million won to assist 105 people — part of a broad range of initiatives aimed at delivering public benefit.

A beneficiary of last year's Hope Dream program said the support had been meaningful. "After the expressway accident, I had been living as a person with a severe disability on basic welfare assistance," the person said. "Thanks to the Expressway Scholarship Foundation, I was able to feel that I had not been abandoned by the world."

Yu Jeong-hun, president of Korea Expressway Corporation, said it is the foundation's role to help those who have endured great hardship from unexpected accidents regain hope and return to society. "I hope the Hope Dream project becomes a warm comfort to the weary hearts of affected families and a firm stepping stone for them to stand up again," he said.