Hyundai Motor Group donates 'i-CARE CAR' vehicles for abused children, bringing cumulative total past 192

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it will continue supporting abused children through its i-CARE CAR program.

The automaker held a vehicle handover ceremony Tuesday at the Community Chest of Korea headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Attendees included Lee Hang-su, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Motor Group's policy support division; Kim Hyeon-suk, director-general of population and child policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; Jin Seok-beom, secretary-general of the Community Chest of Korea; and Kim Woong-cheol, secretary-general of Good Neighbors.

The i-CARE CAR program is a corporate social responsibility initiative that donates home-visit and mobile counseling vehicles to child protection centers for children who have suffered abuse.

Hyundai Motor specially designed the vehicles based on field feedback, equipping each with a dedicated counseling space that includes swivel seats for face-to-face consultations, an audiovisual education monitor and psychological therapy supplies. The vehicles allow counselors to visit abused children in underserved areas directly and provide on-site support for their psychological stability and recovery.

This year, Hyundai Motor Group is providing 12 Staria and Carnival vans capable of mobile counseling to 12 child protection centers nationwide. Separately, the group is donating eight compact electric vehicles — including the Casper EV and Ray EV — to eight centers for rapid home visits in urban areas. Including this year's donations, the total number of vehicles provided to 86 child protection centers across the country since 2014 has reached 192.

At Tuesday's ceremony, the selected centers presented their plans for using the vehicles, and the features built into each model were demonstrated.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group said it is focused on building a comprehensive support system for abused children. The effort includes i-CARE HOME, which funds remodeling of shelters for abused children, and i-CARE UP, a program designed to support the psychological recovery and professional development of child protection center workers.

At the i-CARE UP event held in June, the group invited 100 counselors and therapists from 57 child protection centers nationwide and offered a range of wellness programs aimed at reducing burnout and helping staff recharge — including a theater performance and visits to local landmarks, tailored stress management sessions, and a terrarium-making workshop.

"The i-CARE program was launched to provide closer support to abused children and those working on the front lines of child protection," Lee said. "We will always be there to help every child grow their dreams in a safer environment."