The Korea Herald

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KB Kookmin Card pours effort into sharing

By Chung Joo-won

Published : March 26, 2013 - 20:21

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Among countless corporate social sharing programs, KB Kookmin Card’s social contributions specifically aim to bolster the nation as a whole.

Embracing the core needs of all age groups and ethnicities is the essential part of the ambitious sharing project.

KB Kookmin Card has been one of the “big 4” credit finance card companies, wielding power in the credit card and check card sectors in particular, since its launch in 2011.
KB Kookmin Card officials pose after cleaning the home of an elderly woman and presenting her with everyday necessities as part of their volunteer community services for 110 elderly households. (KB Kookmin Card) KB Kookmin Card officials pose after cleaning the home of an elderly woman and presenting her with everyday necessities as part of their volunteer community services for 110 elderly households. (KB Kookmin Card)

Applied to the sharing project is the company’s extensive experience dating back to 1980, said the credit card unit of Kookmin Bank. The sharing project was recently dubbed “YES, for Good.” It is best summarized under four sub-categories: youth education, environment, senior welfare and global multi-culture.

The company’s 320 employees delivered lessons on economics and finance to about 10,000 students at elementary, junior high and high schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

Giving the right financial lessons ― such as on basic finance and economics, wise expenditure and management of pocket money, interest rates and exchange rates ― at an early age is crucial to fostering a healthy economic mind, the card firm said.

KB Kookmin Card also sponsored a number of multicultural festivals in 2011 in support of multicultural families and international workers. In 2012, it organized the “Dream Day Camp” program, offering a series of job experience programs for children with a multicultural background.

The firm has encouraged employees’ of its 25 branches nationwide to engage in community service activities for low-income elderly citizens. They deliver rice and life necessities to 500 independent-living elderly people, as well as donating hot meals and cleaning their residences.

KB Kookmin Card also cherishes the environment, with its employees regularly participating in planting trees and tending to the altar for Confucius at 600-year-old Sungkyunkwan University.

The company raised 150 million won ($136,000) in donations to fund charity organizations such as UNICEF, Good Neighbors and Community Chest of Korea at the end of 2012.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)