HSBC Korea and JA offer 'Flex' program for young people

Yeo Mun-hwan, secretary general of Junior Achievement Korea, left, and Jung Eun-young, HSBC Korea president, at Space Moa, in central Seoul, on April 21. [HSBC KOREA]

HSBC Korea kicked off an economic and financial education program together with Junior Achievement (JA), an international non-profit organization.

The program is open to teenagers living in homes for the underprivileged and others under the age of 24.

HSBC Korea on Friday said the goal of the "Flex" program is to help young people become financially independent.

Scholarships are offered.

Flex courses last for years and will be run through 2023.

John Lee, the CEO of Meritz Asset Management, was the first lecturer in the program. He spoke on managing paychecks and personal investments on April 21.
The participants were from 23 teens welfare facilities.

"Young people are those in which our society has to take the most interest as they will be the ones that carry our future," said Jung Eun-young, HSBC Korea president. "We plan to provide steady support so that young people can prepare to stand on their own."

HSBC Korea also provides other youth programs, including one that offers 230,000 won every month for 20 months to young people departing welfare facilities. This program also offers coaching on financial management, vocational training and job consulting.

Other social programs include start-up assistance to young people and environment conservation programs.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]