30 Billion KRW Support for Children with Pediatric Cancer and Rare Diseases... Lee Geon-hee's First Social Contribution Also 'Child Welfare'

1989 Year Sajae Donated to Establish and Open 'Cheonma Orinijip' Start
Published Essay Collection During Lifetime: "We Must Roll Up Sleeves to Prevent Children from Wandering Streets"

The late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee (second from the right) is inspecting the construction status of Samsung Seoul Hospital as part of his social contribution activities during his lifetime.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] On the 28th, the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee decided to donate a total of 300 billion KRW to support children with pediatric cancer and rare diseases. This decision reflects the late chairman's wish that no child should lose their precious life due to lack of funds in the blind spots of medical welfare.

This aligns with the late chairman's management philosophy of 'respect for humanity and life' and also reflects his exceptional 'love for children.' The family pledged to honor this intention by providing financial support for the treatment of children from financially disadvantaged families and by sponsoring research to overcome pediatric cancer and rare diseases, thereby sharing 'hope' with a long-term perspective.

Specifically, 150 billion KRW will be allocated to support children with 13 types of pediatric cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, and 60 billion KRW will be provided for children with 14 types of rare diseases such as Crohn's disease. Additionally, 90 billion KRW will be invested in building infrastructure for clinical research and drug development for pediatric cancer and rare diseases, which are less profitable and often avoided by companies, ensuring that more children will benefit in the long run.

The first social contribution activity that Chairman Lee undertook after his inauguration was a child welfare project. In 1989, he donated 10.2 billion KRW of his personal funds to establish the Samsung Welfare Foundation, through which the first daycare center, 'Cheonma Daycare Center,' was opened in December of the same year. Since then, this project has continued, and now over 30 Samsung daycare centers operate nationwide.

It is known that shortly after his inauguration, upon seeing a cluster of dilapidated houses outside the window during a meeting with external personnel, Chairman Lee immediately called his secretaries and instructed them to build a daycare center. During the construction of the daycare center, he personally visited the site and expressed special concern, advising that "the corners of the furniture should not be sharp since 5- to 6-year-old children will be living there" and asking, "How many calories does the daily meal provide?"

In addition, through the Samsung Welfare Foundation, the late chairman contributed to breaking the cycle of poverty and improving child welfare by supporting projects for children-headed households and private welfare organizations. In 2002, he donated a total of 450 billion KRW to establish the 'Samsung Lee Kun-hee Scholarship Foundation,' and in 2006, he added another 350 billion KRW of personal funds, transferring it to the Ministry of Education, significantly contributing to the enhancement of child and youth welfare.

Chairman Lee also regarded support for children suffering from illnesses as a corporate social responsibility. In 2013, he donated 20 billion KRW to build a specialized treatment center for children with developmental disabilities, which led to the opening of the Samsung Developmental Center in October 2017 within the Seoul Children's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

In an essay collection published during his lifetime, the late chairman emphasized, "Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and engage in more practical children's education," stressing that "we must develop many good educational programs and create diverse leisure facilities so that young children no longer wander the streets or spend time aimlessly moving from place to place."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.