Economic Sector Supports Settlement of Multicultural Children and Migrant Background Families

KCCI New Entrepreneurship Council
5th Sharing Project Held
Woori Financial Supports Unregistered Migrant Children

The business community has introduced support programs to help multicultural children and adolescents, foreign worker families, and other migration-background populations settle in South Korea.

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, Park Jung-won, Chairman of Doosan, and other attendees are listening to an explanation about the "Current Status and Support Needs of Caregiving" at the 4th Together Sharing Project held on May 3rd at the Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Entrepreneurial Spirit Council (ERT), together with Woori Financial Group and 22 chambers of commerce located in Gyeonggi Province, announced that they held the "5th Together Sharing Project" event on the morning of the 24th at the Ansan Global Multicultural Center in Gyeonggi Province. The event was attended by Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lim Jong-ryong, Chairman of Woori Financial Group, and Bae Hae-dong, Chairman of the Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce Federation.

Migration-background populations refer to individuals who themselves or whose parents hold foreign nationality at birth or currently. This includes foreign workers, marriage immigrants, multicultural families, and overseas Koreans with foreign nationality. According to the government, the domestic migration-background population was 2.26 million as of 2022. It is expected to reach approximately 4.04 million, accounting for 8% of the total population, by 2042.

At the event, attendees announced plans to support migration-background families. Woori Financial Group is currently providing about 3.6 billion KRW in support to multicultural families nationwide. The plan includes not only scholarship support, language and cultural experience programs, and cultural projects such as children's choirs conducted by the Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation but also incorporating youth career and vocational education demands into the support projects.

A new project was also established to support undocumented migrant children and children of mid-term immigrants who fall into policy support blind spots, such as refugees.

Woori Financial Group plans to provide after-school classes, psychological and emotional counseling, and other support to an estimated 20,000 undocumented migrant children. The Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce Federation will support the opening of Korean language education classes and the replacement of equipment for 11 foreigner welfare centers located in Gyeonggi Province, targeting foreign workers and their families.

Chairman Chey introduced the activities of ERT and the meaning of the new entrepreneurial spirit, expressing empathy for the need to support migration-background families.

Chairman Lim said, "Through the Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation, we are promoting new businesses that support not only multicultural families but also refugees, undocumented foreigners, and children of mid-term immigrants who are in welfare blind spots. We will continue to actively support to provide practical help to migration-background families."

ERT is a corporate council launched by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2022, with about 1,560 companies participating. It operates based on the "new entrepreneurial spirit," which aims to solve social problems and lead social development through technology and culture. The Together Sharing Project is ERT's representative practical initiative.

Previously, at the first Sharing Project event held in March last year, Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, participated; in April, SK, Shinhan Bank, and Ediya Coffee took part; and in June of the same year, Lotte Group and Hana Financial Group participated, each presenting various support programs to address social issues.

In May, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, and Park Jung-won, Chairman of Doosan, visited the Seodaemun Comprehensive Welfare Center and announced expansions of family shelters for pediatric cancer patients and medical and caregiving expense support for caregiving families.

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