Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Shinhan opens children’s libraries
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Sinhan Card is narrowing the gap in education quality between city and rural areas by establishing children's libraries through the Shinhan Arumin Library project as a way of giving back to society.
The program began in 2010 through the Kid and Future Foundation and aims to establish small libraries at local children's centers across the country.
The first Arumin Library opened at a community center in Gwanak, Seoul in December 2010, and 230 libraries have opened since then. There are 45 libraries in the Seoul, Incheon and Gangwon area, 43 in Gyeonggi Province, 33 in Chungcheong Province, 51 in Gyeongsang Province, 53 in Jeolla Province and five in Jeju Province.
The card firm selected local community centers in need of support and provided about 1,000 books to each of the Arumin Libraries.
"The aim of the Arumin Library project is to provide a better educational environment for children and youths. They can come and browse as well as study at the environment-friendly places," a Shinhan Card official said.
The libraries have become a stronghold for local communities and Shinhan Card continues to support them by matching branches of the firm and libraries for volunteering. The company also steadily donates more books on behalf of its customers.
In addition to the libraries, Shinhan Card operates Arumin (www.arumin.co.kr), a portal site dedicated to donations.
The site facilitates a philanthropic culture among its customers. Visitors to the site can view the amount donated by Shinhan Card and which organizations benefitted.
There are more than 400 organizations, ranging from welfare and civic movements to environmental and animal rights groups waiting for donations registered on the website.
The firm also offers Beautiful Card, a type of card designed only for donation. Its holders can save 0.5-0.8 percent of their usage and all the mileage points are donated. It is the only card in Korea that the points can be used only for benefaction.
Shinhan Card also holds an annual volunteering festival in April and May in which all executives, employees and their families participate, along with other Shinhan Financial Group workers.