[Sponsored Report] KIS gives back to the youth in creative ways

Korea Investment & Securities has been hosting children’s soccer class in collaboration with FC Seoul professional soccer team since 2007 for the underprivileged youth.

Lingering uncertainties in the euro zone may suggest otherwise but many businesses are identifying ways to continue their charitable efforts in giving back to the society. Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) is at the forefront of finding creative ways to contribute to the betterment of the youth at home and abroad.

Ryu Sang-ho, the president and CEO of KIS, emphasized the importance of securing a safe environment for the youth, saying, “Looking back at my upbringing, I’m realizing the sheer importance of the teenage years in one’s life. Because that is when the scale of dream is determined by one’s circumstance, which is not chosen but given. I thought to myself, ‘No teenager should have to compromise their dreams for circumstantial reasons,’ and that is why KIS is focusing on helping the children and teenagers.”

In the capital and other regions of the country, KIS has been partnering with FC Seoul since 2007 hosting the annual “Dream Tree Soccer Workshop” for neglected children and teenagers. The company visits schools in distant and secluded locales, replacing old school supplies like black board, desks and chairs, in addition to high technology gadgets needed during class.

The company also supports middle and high school students to visit the overseas financial markets accompanied by their teachers. The list is by no means exhaustive as KIS also hosts an annual charity event to raise funds to be delivered to Good Neighbors, a charity organization, to help the needy children overseas.

The corporate social-responsibility activities of the major securities broker and asset manager are not confined to children but also to women and multicultural families for healthy families are a foundation for the well-being of children. Through unbiased hiring practices, KIS aims to provide fair opportunities for female applicants as well. The anti-discrimination policy of KIS is further evinced by the recognition award in 2008 as the Best Company for Gender Equal Opportunity by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Ryu, a global financier, visited many countries for business and saw the difficulties of children face in developing countries. He then decided to mobilize KIS to help those in need. Since 2009, KIS also donates part of its profits to the United Nations Children’s Fund, or Unicef, spreading holiday cheer.

For its business overseas efforts, KIS established a global arm in Vietnam, and is also engaging in charity events like donation drive for Vietnamese women residing in Korea, hosting volunteer events for medical group, delivering daily life supplies and education materials to schools in Vietnam and conducting job training for the Vietnamese teens.

This year at its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, western Seoul, preparation for a company organized campaign under the slogan of Sharing Love is well underway. Through the ambitious charity event, KIS aims to help the children and teenagers from multicultural families and low-income households in the nearby area.

KIS has already provided school uniforms and school supplies for the new semester. The project is slated to expand the beneficiary in the coming years.

By Lee Ji-hyun [concordia@joongang.co.kr]