GS Retail holds cemetery cleanup at Seoul National Cemetery on Armed Forces Day

GS Retail held a cemetery cleanup at Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on Thursday — Armed Forces Day — with CEO Heo Seo-hong and 53 executives taking part.

The activity was organized to honor fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country and to help bereaved families and visitors pay their respects in a well-maintained environment.

The executives paid their respects at the Memorial Tower and signed the guest book before moving to Section 39, which holds more than 1,100 graves of Korean War soldiers — including those who died in the Battle of Hill 1090 — where they cleaned headstones and removed weeds.

GS Retail has conducted volunteer activities at Seoul National Cemetery, with participation from its CEO and employees, since 2019. Since 2024, the company has formalized the partnership through a sister-organization agreement with the cemetery, committing to two cleanup sessions per year focused on Section 39.

Last year, the company extended its volunteer efforts to the National Daejeon Cemetery. This year, about 25 employees from the Daejeon area took part in a cleanup there on May 29, collecting litter and tidying the grounds.

"We will continue to carry out ESG activities that reflect the spirit of honoring national service and put patriotic values into practice," said Park Gyeong-rang, head of GS Retail's ESG division.