Citibank Korea marks community day with neighborhood clean-up

Citibank Korea employees and families pose after volunteering in a neighborhood clean-up around Jeong-dong in central Seoul, as part of Citi's Global Community Day, June 13. Courtesy of Citibank Korea

Citibank Korea employees, their families and staff from client companies took part in a volunteer program on Saturday as part of Citi’s annual Global Community Day initiative, the lender said Monday.

Launched in 2006, Global Community Day is Citi’s flagship volunteer campaign, bringing together employees worldwide for community-based service projects. More than 1.2 million volunteers have participated since its inception.

Citibank Korea CEO Yoo Myung-soon joined employees in a neighborhood clean-up around Jeong-dong in central Seoul, home to the bank’s headquarters. The group picked up litter near historic sites and took part in a guided walk exploring the district’s cultural and historical significance.

“Citibank Korea is committed to supporting local communities through Citi’s global volunteer initiatives,” Yoo said. “It was especially meaningful to have not only employees and their families, but also staff from our client companies, join us this year.”

This year’s campaign began with the outdoor Harmony Concert on May 27 and has since expanded into a monthlong series of activities focused on community outreach, financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, cultural heritage preservation, animal welfare and youth development.

Programs scheduled through the end of June include Habitat for Humanity home-building projects, volunteer efforts to organize shared bicycles on Seoul streets, activities at animal shelters, cultural heritage walks paired with neighborhood clean-ups, audiobook recordings for children with limited access to reading materials, nighttime “plogging” — a portmanteau of the Swedish phrase for “picking up” and the English word “jogging” — and collaborative art projects supporting waste collectors and recycling workers.