The Korea Herald

Children’s home summer program

A Gyeongbuk Province orphanage is seeking English-teaching volunteers for its summer program. Emmanuel Children’s Home in the city of Gimcheon is looking for adult volunteers to live on-site to live and help at the center during August. There are 115 children at the orphanage ranging in age from newborn babies to college students. Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission will provide training, s

June 15, 2011

Refugee Day flashmob dance

A mob is set to perform a spontaneous dance to a Michael Jackson tune on the streets of Seoul to raise awareness of World Refugee Day.The flashmob event will involve dancers moving to pop hit “Black or White” at locations across the capital over two days. Participants are still being sought for the event, with dance practices to be held at World Cup Stadium Peace Square from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 1

June 15, 2011

Lee Hyori on World Vision India trip

Lee HyoriK-pop diva Lee Hyori is setting off to India this month for volunteer work. The singer is reportedly set to spend a week in India with international aid and development organization World Vision. The Christian NGO helps children, families and communities in poverty throughout the world. Famous for K-pop hits including “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “U-Go-Girl,” Lee also recently volunteere

June 15, 2011

Giving food for thought at Seoul Station

It is dusk in a park near Seoul Station, and a small group has stopped beside a man curled motionless in the middle of the path.A Korean charity worker approaches him, and gently nudges him. The man stirs and speaks. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief ― he was only sleeping. One volunteer moves the plastic sandal that has fallen from his foot closer to him and another lays a bag of food down besid

June 15, 2011

Giving food for thought at Seoul Station

Helping Hands needed for N.K. kids

Charity founder calls for more help for ‘second wave’ of orphans in ChinaHe was only 11 years old, but he was already fending, rather unsuccessfully, for himself. Separated from his North Korean mother and abandoned by his Chinese father, the boy was living in a collapsing cottage without a roof or running water. Struggling to survive on scraps and garbage from the nearby village, he soon contract

June 15, 2011

Charity concert for young N.K. defectors

A benefit concert for children of multicultural families and North Korean defectors will be held in Seoul on Saturday, with a range of big-name performances.The Love Garden Art Society will hold the 5th Annual Love Garden Charity Art Festival at the Samsung COEX center, in an effort to culturally enrich the lives of multicultural youths. JewelryComedian Seo Kyung-suk, pop group Jewelry, who releas

June 8, 2011

Charity concert for young N.K. defectors

Softball match to help disabled in Busan

A softball match is to be held to raise money for disabled and disadvantaged kids in Busan. The annual event has raised more than 10 million won ($9,250) so far and organizers hope to raise around 1.5 million won with the 8th tournament on June 12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A softball team from a previous match (Michael Spiller)Around 100 people have taken part in previous years’ events, with the conte

June 8, 2011

Softball match to help disabled in Busan

Seminar on fair, ethical trade on Friday

A fair trade seminar is to be held in Seoul on Friday. The event will discuss the concepts of “fair trade” and “ethical trade” in depth, as well as analyzing the global Fairtrade movement. The Fairtrade movement aims to help consumers shop for products that provide a better deal to global producers. Speakers from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Ko

June 8, 2011

Talk on helping North Korean kids

Human rights activist Tim Peters was to give a talk on helping North Korean children on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee was to give the talk “Breaking the Silence on Korea’s Forgotten Children” at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul from 12-1:30 p.m.Peters is the founder and managing director of Helping Hands Korea, a Christian mission which provides famine relief to the northeastern part of No

June 8, 2011

Striving to help Korean families thrive in all shapes and sizes

Less than 60 percent of families in South Korea now fit the model of a nuclear family, Statistics Korea research suggests. As a developed, democratic country, the country should embrace this difference, says Dr. Richard Boas of the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network. “Confucian belief defines a family as a father, a mother and their children. Many believe a modern family consists of a married ma

June 8, 2011

Striving to help Korean families thrive in all shapes and sizes

‘Great Talent’ winner keeps donation promise

Baek Cheong-gang, winner of the MBC’s star search program “Great Talent,” kept his promise that he would donate the half of his prize money to a welfare center to help underprivileged people. The broadcaster said on Wednesday that Baek visited Sangrok Orphanage in Seoul and donated 50 million won worth of cash, clothes and socks.Baek and MBC discussed which organization would be the beneficiary, M

June 8, 2011

‘Great Talent’ winner keeps donation promise

Movie night for cancer patient

An ’80s movie night is to be held to help an English professor battling cancer. The fund-raiser is being held to help Woosong University professor Mike McStay, who has been receiving cancer treatment in hospital. His friends have been organizing events to raise cash to contribute to his medical bills. The latest event is to be held at the Yellow Taxi bar in Daejon on June 11. Those coming to watch

June 8, 2011

Facelift for kids’ homes from home

Nationwide refurb program makes Korean afterschool centers sparkle againUntil this month, kids at Jun Jin-kyoung’s Ganghwado children’s center were always fighting over the bathroom. “There was no separate restroom for males and females. It could sometimes make conflict for the children as they grew up. They wanted the restroom separated,” said Jun, who is president of the care facility on the isl

June 8, 2011

Citigroup staff take sharing company-wide

More than 300 Citigroup Korea, Inc. employees have signed up for the company’s new volunteer group here. The new Citigroup Korea Volunteer Community Service was formed from an existing volunteer club being run by a group of philanthropic employees. The initiative has been formalized in a bid to engage more people at a company-wide level in Korea. Ha Yung-Ku, CEO of Citigroup Korea, Inc. congratula

June 8, 2011

Volunteer for HOPE

Volunteer teachers are being sought to help the HOPE project provide equal opportunities for children through English. The organization is seeking English teachers to work at around 20 volunteer learning centers throughout Seoul and surrounding cities to help underprivileged children who could not otherwise afford lessons. The group is also looking for donations of resources. It is looking for bas

June 1, 2011

Walking dogs in Daegu

Dog lovers in Daegu are invited to join a new dog walking club based in the city. The Korean Animal Protection Society has been holding monthly dog walks where animal lovers can give themselves and abandoned pets some exercise. Now, KAPS is setting up a more regular volunteer event to help the dogs kept at the KAPS Daegu Dog Shelter in Daemyoung.A previous Daegu dog walk organized by the Korean An

June 1, 2011

Volunteer conference seeks speakers

An Asia-Pacific conference is seeking speakers to pass on their volunteering experiences and knowledge. The 13th International Association for Volunteer Effort Asia-Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference (Korea) is to be held in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam Province.The conference titled “Volunteer Initiatives for a Sustainable Global Community: Climate Changes, Poverty, Conflict, and Natural Disasters”

June 1, 2011

Ulsan schools look to neighbors for support

Ulsan’s education office will hold a donation campaign, accepting anything from art supplies to cars, to provide more opportunities for its elementary, middle and high school students.According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education, they will be holding the “Ulsan Donation for Education Campaign,” at its Creative Experience Activity Support Center.The center will accept anything from music

June 1, 2011

Kia Tigers play for ‘Love’

The Kia Tigers and Kia Motors staff will hold the “Tigers Love Fund” donation program throughout the rest of the 2011 season to raise cash for people in developing countries.The program, in its second year, includes 14 players from the Kia Tigers and some 3,500 employees of Kia Motors, 600 more than the previous year.Third baseman and power hitter, Lee Bum-ho will donate 200,000 won ($185) per hom

June 1, 2011

Raising beers to better the lives of Korean bears

A Korea-brewed beer is the latest among a raft of campaigns aiming to help the country’s endangered Asiatic black bears. A percentage of proceeds from the second batch of Moon Bear IPA to be released at a Seoul bar will go toward raising awareness of the plight of the bears, often called moon bears, which are farmed in Korea for their gall. The logo of Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro’s Moon Bear IP

June 1, 2011

Raising beers to better the lives of Korean bears