The 18th Seoul Social Welfare Walking Festival, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare, was held Thursday at Namsan Park, drawing about 1,500 participants
The 3.2-kilometer walk through Namsan Park brought together citizens, Seoul Metro employees and their families, and social welfare workers
Seoul Metro sponsored the Seoul Social Welfare Walking Festival held Thursday at Namsan Park and presented a donation of 20 million won ($15,100) — matched to participants' step counts — to the Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare.
Now in its 18th year, the festival is a health-and-giving event organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare and co-sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metro and S-OIL, among others. Cumulative participation through last year has reached approximately 103,800 people.
Held under the theme "One step closer to people, one step lighter on the earth," the event followed a 3.2-kilometer round-trip course starting from Baengnyeom Plaza at Namsan Park, passing through the northern loop road and turning back at the Jungbu Park and Leisure Center. About 1,500 people took part, including pre-registered citizens, Seoul Metro employees and their families, social welfare workers, Seoul Metropolitan Government Welfare Director Jeong Jin-woo, Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare Chairman Jo Nam-beom and Seoul Metro Performance Division Head Jeon Cheol-jin.
About 40 employees from Seoul Metropolitan Government-invested institutions also joined the walk, lending support to Seoul Metro's ESG management efforts. Seoul Metro, the Seoul Facilities Corporation, the Seoul Metropolitan Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation, the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation, the Seoul Energy Corporation and the Seoul Water Regeneration Facilities Corporation have formed an "ESG Management Working Council" since last year and have been collaborating on various initiatives to promote ESG values.
In keeping with the spirit of the event, Seoul Metro presented the 20 million won donation — calculated by matching participants' step counts — to the Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare. The funds are earmarked to support energy-vulnerable residents during cold snaps.
Seoul Metro also operated two promotional booths at the venue — an ESG information booth and an "Earth Love, Health Love" booth — to highlight the environmental benefits of its subway system, promote participants' health activities, and showcase its ESG management and social contribution initiatives.
Seoul Metro and the Seoul Metropolitan Council of Social Welfare have now partnered for three consecutive years through the Seoul Social Welfare Walking Festival, bringing together citizens, employees and social welfare workers in an effort to address growing inequality in the community.
Last December, the company donated 20 million won to support efforts to address the country's low birth rate. The funds have been used to help basic livelihood recipients and near-poverty households who gave birth in 2025 and 2026 cover postpartum care costs and essential infant supplies, as part of an ongoing local cooperation and support network.
"We hope that activities like the social welfare walking festival — where we work alongside citizens to help vulnerable members of our community — will spread throughout society," said Han Yeong-hui, head of Seoul Metro's planning division. "Going forward, we will continue to work closely with a wide range of social welfare partner organizations and do our utmost to identify those in need and reduce social inequality."
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