KB Financial Group is widening the scope of its social contribution activities.

Recently, the financial services firm has focused on four sectors: teenagers, multicultural households, environment and welfare for the elderly.

“Among the active participants in our group for the activities are KB Foundation and KB Kookmin Bank,” a spokesman said. “We are seeking to play a role as the financial firm that about 60 percent of the Korean population use to carry out transactions.”

KB Financial chairman and CEO Lim Young-rok provided needy children at a social foundation with bundles of daily supplies for the Chuseok holiday that fell on Sept. 19 this year.

Lim has also been taking the initiative to visit elderly citizens living alone to deliver blankets and other goods.

“Putting Customers First,” the group’s latest corporate social responsibility project, brings together its 25,000 workers to volunteer for a combined 250,000 hours at nursing homes, orphanages and environmental organizations.

It has carried out extra philanthropic work every November and December to help the underprivileged prepare for the cold weather.

Helping the elderly in need, helping young people find jobs and planting trees to fight desertification are some of its other corporate social responsibility projects to build goodwill, KB said in a statement.

In 2011, the group created a 20 billion won ($18.6 million) fund, dubbed KB Foundation, to finance a range of educational and scholarship programs.

It plans to expand its size to 100 billion won by giving 1 percent of the profit each from KB Kookmin Bank, KB Kookmin Card and KB Investment & Securities to the foundation every year.

“It is in our best interest to support the causes for those in need and communicate better with our customers,” said a KB Kookmin Bank executive.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)