Hankook & Company Group opens applications for 'Car Sharing 2.0' program for low-income families

Hankook & Company Group announced Wednesday that it has opened applications for its "2026 Car Sharing 2.0" program in partnership with ChildFund Korea, accepting submissions through Oct. 2 from low-income households in Gyeonggi Province.

The Car Sharing program is the group's flagship corporate social responsibility initiative, reflecting its core mobility business by providing vehicles to social welfare organizations and transportation-disadvantaged groups. Launched in 2008, the program has run for 19 years and provided a total of 661 vehicles through last year.

Last year, the group introduced "Car Sharing 2.0" to expand the program's scope by supporting the economic independence of low-income families. Under the model, vehicles are provided to qualifying households and then registered on a car-sharing platform so families can generate income — running alongside the original Car Sharing program, which targets social welfare facilities.

This year, the program shifts its vehicle lineup to eco-friendly models centered on electric vehicles, adding an environmental dimension to its mobility-based social contribution. About six vehicles will be provided, primarily the Kia EV5, with the option to substitute a Seltos hybrid for households where residential charging infrastructure is unavailable.

Applicants must be low-income households registered as residents of Gyeonggi Province and hold a valid driver's license. Interested families can download an application form from the news and notices section of the ChildFund Korea website and submit it via a Naver form linked in the announcement.

After an initial document review, applicants will undergo additional document verification, an interview and an on-site inspection. Final recipient households are expected to be selected in November, after which a donation ceremony will be held at Hankook & Company's headquarters and vehicles will be delivered in sequence according to the supply schedule.

"We hope this vehicle support will ease the transportation burden on low-income families and give them a solid foundation for stable everyday life," a Hankook & Company Group official said. "We will continue to pursue social contribution activities grounded in the value of 'Driving Forward, Together' — supporting better daily lives for our neighbors and growing alongside local communities."

Hankook & Company Group is also participating for the fifth consecutive year as a sponsor of the "2026 815 Run" campaign, organized by Habitat for Humanity Korea and joined by singer Shin, as part of its broader corporate social responsibility efforts.