Gwangju Shinsegae Holds “Kimchi of Love” Event for 30th Anniversary

Delivered to 13 Organizations Including Child Protection Agencies

On November 20, Gwangju Shinsegae held a “Kimchi of Love” event to celebrate its 30th anniversary at Gwangju Kimchi Town, with CEO Lee Donghoon and about 30 executives and employees participating.

The event was organized by Gwangju Shinsegae to deliver kimchi to underprivileged neighbors in the region. The program included kimchi-making lessons led by Kimchi Master Kwak Eunju, followed by hands-on kimchi preparation.

On the 20th, Gwangju Shinsegae held a kimchi-making volunteer event at Gwangju Kimchi Town, with participation from CEO Lee Donghun, officials from the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, and about 20 employees. Photo by Gwangju Shinsegae

To mark its 30th anniversary, Gwangju Shinsegae delivered 300 boxes (1,500 kg) of kimchi, handmade by its executives and employees, to 13 local organizations, including welfare centers and child protection agencies, through the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation.

While Gwangju Shinsegae had previously held kimchi-making events at its department store, since 2023, the company has been making kimchi at Kimchi Town to create even tastier kimchi in a more professional setting.

Established in 1995 as a local corporation to promote mutual growth with the community, Gwangju Shinsegae has engaged in various activities beyond kimchi-making volunteer work.

On November 6, the company donated benches made from retired employee uniforms. Uniforms previously used at Shinsegae Department Stores nationwide were repurposed into benches after being retired due to a design change.

A total of 10,000 uniforms went through shredding and compression processes to be reborn as sturdy benches. Gwangju Shinsegae named these “Re+New Benches” to signify that the retired uniforms have been transformed into resting places for citizens.

Earlier, in August, the company upcycled used cooking oil from its department store food hall to make recycled soap. To raise awareness of environmental protection and upcycling, Gwangju Shinsegae donated the soap to environmental and civic groups in Gwangju.

CEO Lee Donghoon of Gwangju Shinsegae stated, “We hope the kimchi provided by our executives and employees will help our neighbors in the community stay warm this winter,” adding, “As a local corporation committed to mutual growth, Gwangju Shinsegae will continue to engage in activities that benefit the region.”

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