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| Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, and his mother Hong Ra-hee, second from right, attend the 30th anniversary of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School, founded by late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics |
By Ko Dong-hwan
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The event at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, was attended by people using the guide service, volunteers who train puppies and others who have adopted retired guide dogs. The Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong, Samsung Fire CEO and President Hong Won-hak and lawmakers were present at the event.
William Thornton, CEO of the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), presented a plaque to the company during the event. Four visually impaired users of the service sang songs in front of the visitors, including "You Raise Me Up," to appreciate the school's achievements. Rep. Kim Yae-ji of the ruling People Power Party performed on the piano for the event.
The event saw eight retrievers leaving their trainers to officially start their guide service. It also saw three dogs retiring from the service and going to their new families that adopted them.
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| Eight retriever puppies are seen at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, during an event to celebrate the school's 30th anniversary this year. The puppies left the school to become guide dogs for the visually impaired. Courtesy of Samsung Group |
Lee founded the school in 1993, three months after he declared a "new revolutionary paradigm" in company management. Samsung said on Tuesday that Lee had wanted to improve the country's welfare services and provide better care to those with disabilities when he established the school. It is the only guide dog school in the world run by a private company, added Samsung.
The school's first dog was a retriever named Bada who began providing guide service in 1994. Since then, the school has trained 12 to 15 dogs annually. As of Tuesday, a total of 280 dogs have been in service, while 76 dogs from the school are currently on active duty.
The IGDF, recognizing the late chairman's efforts with the school, honored him in 2002.
Guide dogs at the school receive training for two years and serve their owner for up to eight years before retiring. Samsung has so far seen 2,000 households that voluntarily train puppies, raise dogs to give birth to puppies destined for the service and adopt the dogs on their retirement. Another 300 volunteers have so far worked at the kennels where dogs for the school have lived.
Following the school's establishment, the country has since started introducing new welfare services friendly to the visually impaired who need help from guide dogs. The health ministry revised laws to punish more severely those who refuse visually impaired patrons in public transportation or public spaces including taxis, buses, restaurants or hotels.
The government introduced regulations to allow people with guide dogs to use airports more comfortably by exempting the dogs from rabies virus infection checks. City and provincial governments have introduced more regulations to make their communities more accessible for people with guide dogs.
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