Shinhan Card creates fifth eco zone in Suwon using donated customer points

Shinhan Card has opened its fifth eco-friendly green space, called an "ECO Zone," at Gwanggyo Lake Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, funded by card reward points donated by customers. The latest installation marks the first time the company has added rest areas and photo zones for visitors, moving beyond its previous focus on tree planting.

Shinhan Card announced Wednesday that it developed the ECO Zone in partnership with Seoul Green Trust, in an area of the park known as Jaeminan Bat.

A total of 17 plant species were selected for the zone to let visitors experience the changing seasons. The space also introduces, for the first time, rest areas and photo zones featuring Shinhan Financial Group characters, adding a recreational dimension alongside its environmental purpose.

The ECO Zone program is a corporate social responsibility initiative that uses points donated by customers enrolled in the "Shinhan Card ECO Plan" to create green spaces in urban parks. Shinhan Card has built ECO Zones at Seoul Forest since 2021, followed by APEC Naru Park in Busan, Hansaebong Agricultural Ecology Park in Gwangju and Galma Culture Park in Daejeon.

The Shinhan Card ECO Plan, launched in April, accumulates 0.2 percent of domestic and overseas card spending as donatable points. When accumulated points reach 1,000 or more, they are automatically donated to Seoul Green Trust on the 28th of each month for use in tree-planting activities. There are no minimum monthly spending requirements or caps on point accumulation.

The opening ceremony, held Tuesday, was attended by Ha Hyeon-seung, director of the Suwon Special City Parks and Green Space Office; Shim Ju-yeong, a director at Seoul Green Trust; Lee Deuk-hyeon, chairman of Suwon Green Trust; and Kim Jong-hyeok, head of brand strategy at Shinhan Card.

"We hope this ECO Zone, designed as a space where citizens can linger and enjoy themselves, will become a beloved retreat for years to come," a Shinhan Card official said. "We will continue to pursue social contribution activities that share the value of the environment with our customers."