Lotte ups outreach for children and women

Volunteers of the Value Creators in Universities program package women's products at Lotte Chilsung Beverage's Gangneung plant in February. (Lotte Corporation)

Lotte Corp., the South Korean holding company of Lotte Group, is strengthening its corporate social responsibility campaigns, placing particular focus on children, women and military personnel.

Since 2017, the company has been supporting local community centers dedicated to after-school care for children, creating garret-style shelters equipped with cultural and interactive materials, it said.

To date, Lotte Corp. has supported 87 centers nationwide, with plans to expand to areas including Daegu, Gwangju, Yangpyeong in Gyeonggi Province, Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon within this year. In response to the digitalization of public education and growing demand for coding education, the company will also provide digital-focused training and digital book coupons.

Beyond supporting local community centers, this campaign has also provided children with recreational spaces, building 28 eco-friendly playgrounds nationwide. The Yeosu playground in South Jeolla Province marks the first instance of a closed elementary school being transformed into a playground following requests from the local community.

In recognition of its contributions to child care, Lotte Corp. was honored by the National Center for the Rights of the Child in November 2023. This year, two additional playgrounds are planned for Uijeongbu and Busan.

Lotte Corp.'s outreach efforts also continued with Value Creators in Universities, a student program that gathers societal insight through partnerships with businesses and welfare organizations. Under the sponsorship of Lotte Corp., other Lotte affiliates have also participated, with Lotte Chilsung Beverage donating women's products to those in need, Lotte Rental organizing plogging events on Jeju Island and Lotte Department Store cleaning Busan’s shorelines.

More recently, in May this year, Lotte Corp. donated 50 million won ($37,500) and goods to military families cited by the Korean Army Headquarters. The company has also established 83 libraries in military posts and bases in the country, aimed at offering self-development opportunities to service members. In December 2023, it supported the US Army in Korea by installing 1,000 vending machines stocked with the company's snack products.

By Hwang Joo-young(flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)