Lotte Department Store announced Thursday that it is launching a commemorative campaign to mark the 10th anniversary of its corporate social responsibility initiative "RE:JOICE."
Launched in 2017, RE:JOICE is Lotte Department Store's flagship CSR program supporting the dreams and challenges of all people. To celebrate the 10th anniversary this year, the company will publish an "Impact Report," a first in the industry. The report chronicles Lotte Department Store's decade-long journey of expanding mental health and emotional well-being from a personal issue to a broader social agenda.
The report features interviews with RE:JOICE campaign participants including counseling clients, child caregivers, counselors and corporate partners, presenting changes and significance in a multidimensional format. It also highlights the operational structure that has underpinned the campaign's sustainability and the role of partner organization Kia Daechaek (Korea Food for the Hungry International), while outlining future directions and vision. The report will be available on Lotte Department Store's website on the 22nd of this month.
In addition, Lotte Department Store will host a forum on the theme of "emotional well-being" on the 22nd. Approximately 100 attendees are expected, including officials from the Seoul Welfare Foundation and major non-governmental organizations, as well as citizens interested in mental health care. The forum will feature wide-ranging discussions on the importance of mental health and emotional well-being.
"RE:JOICE is our flagship CSR campaign through which Lotte Department Store has listened to the voices of employees and customers while championing 'emotional well-being' as a social agenda. Over the past decade, this journey has spread meaningful change across our society," said Lee Sung-hyun, head of Lotte Department Store's communications division. "We will continue to broaden the horizons of social contribution by embracing diverse generations and demographics, and consistently fulfill our corporate social responsibility."
Meanwhile, Lotte Department Store has donated approximately 10 billion won ($7.4 million) over the past 10 years as part of the RE:JOICE campaign. The company currently operates "RE:JOICE Counseling Centers" at four locations including Time Villas Suwon, providing professional counseling services at roughly half the cost of regular counseling centers. It also partners with 70 social welfare organizations nationwide to continuously expand free counseling support for vulnerable groups. All operating profits from the counseling centers are reinvested into the local communities where each store is located, creating a virtuous cycle.
