1,000 employees from 86 firms take part
Industry's joint CSR effort enters 16th year
Kimchi to reach welfare facilities and vulnerable households
The financial investment industry is sharing 80,000 kilograms of kimchi to help vulnerable households through the winter — a record high in donations, kimchi volume and participation all at once.
The Korea Financial Investment Association said it held the 16th Kimchi Fair for Love at Yeouido Park in Seoul on Wednesday, alongside securities firms, asset management companies, futures companies and other financial investment institutions and related organizations.
About 1,000 employees from 86 financial investment firms took part in the event. Donations totaled approximately 390 million won ($291,000), which funded the 80,000 kilograms of kimchi to be distributed through ChildFund Korea to social welfare facilities and neighbors in need.
The donation amount, kimchi volume and number of participants all set records since the event's founding. The kimchi sharing program started with 20,000 kilograms in 2016 and has quadrupled to 80,000 kilograms over the past decade. The number of participating companies has also grown from 51 to 86.
The Kimchi Fair for Love was launched in 2011 to support marginalized neighbors during the winter months. Now in its 16th year, the event has become the industry's flagship joint corporate social responsibility activity, bringing together financial investment firms and their employees.
Beyond kimchi sharing, the financial investment industry continues to pursue a range of social contribution activities, including lifestyle support for vulnerable groups, scholarship programs and financial education. More recently, the industry has drawn on its professional expertise by providing monthly ISA contributions to help young adults aging out of the care system build assets, and by supporting financial literacy among youth and older adults.
Korea Financial Investment Association Chairman Hwang Seong-yeop said the event showed how the collective dedication of each company and its employees could deliver warmth to more neighbors. "We will consistently seek out and practice meaningful ways of giving that make a real difference to those around us, so that the financial investment industry can grow together with society and share the fruits of that growth with our neighbors," he said.
kacew@heraldcorp.com
