LG Uplus has delivered donations raised through its internal giving program "Love of 1,000 Won" to support Korean War veterans for the Memorial Month for patriots and veterans.
According to industry sources Tuesday, the support was arranged to help stabilize the lives of veterans struggling financially due to old age and disabilities. The Western Gyeongnam Veterans Office of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs selected the recipients, and a total of 5 million won—1 million won each for five households—will be delivered through the Gyeongnam Community Chest of Korea.
"Love of 1,000 Won" is a program launched in 2019 in which employees choose to donate 1,000 won or more each month through salary deductions. Cumulative donations have surpassed 315 million won to date.
All five recipients of this support have hearing disabilities, and some experience difficulties in daily communication due to dementia symptoms. Some veterans are known to have developed hearing disabilities during combat in the war.
According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the number of surviving Korean War veterans has declined by approximately 10,000 each year from 77,141 in 2020, leaving 19,645 surviving as of last month. Many survivors are in their 90s and suffer from both disabilities and old age, and their poverty rate is also higher than that of other veterans and beneficiaries.
Kang Woo-shin, a manager of the Gyeongnam Public and Corporate Customer Team who attended the delivery ceremony on behalf of LG Uplus employees, said, "It is very meaningful to be able to convey a small token of sincerity to those who devoted themselves to the country during the Memorial Month for patriots and veterans." He added, "I hope this kind of sharing continues and provides at least some help to the lives of veterans."
Kim Ji-hyun, head of the Western Gyeongnam Veterans Office, said, "Today's Republic of Korea was built upon the sacrifice and dedication of veterans who fought risking their lives on the battlefield." He added, "Honoring national merit recipients is a responsibility our society must uphold together, and we will strive to ensure that this noble spirit is passed on to the future."
LG Uplus plans to continue expanding support for vulnerable groups in local communities through employee-participation social contribution activities such as "Love of 1,000 Won."
