Born in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, home to the Korean folk song Jeongseon Arirang, Kim Young-soo, a 50-year-old barber, often talks proudly of the scenic views of his mountainous hometown. Clippings of newspaper articles with pictures of the region are on the wall of his barbershop, which he has run for four years in Amsa-dong, eastern Seoul. He has been going to the Jumong Rehabilitation Cent...

Nurses and baby sitters cradle crying babies at a clinic inside the Eastern Social Welfare Society, an adoption agency in Mapo, Seoul. They check each baby’s health before starting a journey to find a new family. At the end of each baby’s bed, a small tag shows their name, birth date and destination. Oh Ji-young, 40, who has been serving at the ESWS since 1995, is now helping single mothers sta...

Customers shop at a previous charity bazaar held in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul. (Social Welfare Society) Actress Lee Yoon-mi participated in a charity bazaar on Thursday to help raise money for medical treatment of children awaiting adoption. The “Deep Autumn Big Love” charity fundraiser, held in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, was organized by the Social Welfare Society, an adoption organization specializing in ...

A senior officer at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has been awarded a certificate from an international association for fund-raising professionals, according to the school in Daejeon. Kim Hyun-soo, 37, Senior Major Gift Officer of the KAIST Development Foundation was named earlier this month as Certified Fund Raising Executive by CFRE International, KAIST said. CFRE Inte...

Many elderly in ‘jjokbang’ left to die alone After 15 years of volunteering, Hong In-sik is still passionate about helping elderly people living in jjokbang, or tiny rooms that can barely accommodate one person. Since last year Hong has been the president of a senior volunteer group organized by the Yeongdeungpo District Office in Seoul. The group of 195 people in their 50s or 60s helps each p...

The Korea Tourism Organization has invited Japanese tourists with disabilities to Korea in its effort to offer more travel opportunities to underprivileged people. A group of 30 Japanese tourists from Fukuoka accompanied by their caretakers started their tour on Tuesday in Seoul, and are expected to visit major tourist attractions in the city including Myeong-dong, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Namsan H...

‘Everyone is born with the ability to survive’ Mentally disabled people should be given opportunities to learn how to live independently and assimilate into society though it would pose a tough challenge, said Kim Soo-jin, director of the Seoul Group Home Support Center. “Society sometimes frets about letting mentally disabled people live alone. But everyone is born with the ability to survive ...

Maksim Mrvica, a Croatian pianist whose musical passion was sparked after catching a glimpse of a piano at his best friend’s house when he was eight years old, inspired Korean children with disabilities with music lessons. The renowned classical-pop crossover pianist participated in mentoring classes with disabled children at Pony Chung Hall in southern Seoul on Tuesday. “All children should be...

Former hagwon boss helps mentally disabled open up through sculpture classes In a small classroom, students start rolling and kneading clay after listening to the teacher’s instructions. Showered with praise and encouragement from their teacher, they become engrossed in shaping stems and petals to make flowers. Kim Jeong-min, 53, received a local welfare award from Seoul City for running a pot...

The Korea International Cooperation Agency has constructed a general hospital in a poor district in Paraguay as part of its overseas assistance program. The state-run international aid agency held the opening ceremony on Monday for the hospital in San Pedro, the nation’s most underdeveloped city, 320 km northeast of the capital Asuncion. The KOICA said it has put $5.5 million into the three-yea...

For the disabled, every day is a fight, welfare center counselor says A winding hillside road lined with tall trees and shrubs on the lower slopes of Achasan, eastern Seoul, leads up to a set of buildings bustling with people in wheelchairs and on crutches, chatting in high spirits. On the first floor of the main building of Jeongnip Public Welfare Institution, Korea’s first rehabilitation cent...

An 89-year-old vendor has donated her 10 billion won ($8.8 million) fortune she had saved for 60 years to Yonsei University to help poor students. Kim Soon-jeon visited the university on Aug. 14 and said she hoped to set up a scholarship program in her name with her assets, including her house and buildings. “I hope the money can help students who cannot pursue their academic careers due to fin...

Geum develops business from simple repair shop to builder of specialized sports models Half the workers at wheelchair maker Wheel Line are disabled themselves, including chief executive Geum Dong-ok. The reason: “Those who need them the most will make wheelchairs with passion and consideration,” he says. Geum, 39, was a healthy, responsible young man before an incident 20 years ago, when he sp...

More than 1,000 children had a rare chance to create special art pieces with famous media artist Lee Lee-nam last week as part of an art education program sponsored by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha and the Korean Business Council for the Arts. The children’s drawings and sculptures will be part of a single media installation piece by Lee that will be shown at the 2012 World Conservation Congr...