Lotte increases efforts to give back to society

South Korean retail giant and the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate Lotte Group has carried on diverse corporate social responsibility projects this year, under the slogan “From heart to heart."

Earlier this month, Lotte hosted the “17th Korea Brand Expo” in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing together small and medium-sized enterprises looking to enter the local market.

Over four days, it provided business counseling for 50 Korean enterprises, giving tips about Indonesian market and product localization strategies. Meanwhile, 100 Indonesian businesses also gained a foothold in the Korean market via the event, resulting in mutual benefits to both countries.

With the aim of alleviating childhood inequality, Lotte is also planning to expand its “Mom’s Happiness Playground” project, which builds safe, eco-friendly playgrounds in poor communities.

Starting with its first playground in Dongnae-gu in Busan in 2017, the giant established a total 24 playgrounds all over the country.

This year, it will invest 1.5 billion won to open additional four playgrounds as well as indoor spaces to prevent children’s exposure to fine dust.

As a part of the project, Lotte also launched “Mom’s Happiness Dream Attic” to provide after school child care centers where working mothers can leave their children.

In order to create a better society to raise a child, the retail giant has opened 81 centers featuring libraries and digital classrooms.

In addition to campaigns for mothers and children, Lotte also launched seven additional libraries dubbed “Youth Bookstore” for soldiers serving on the front line as well as remote bases.

In May, it also donated prizes for an annual awards ceremony for military families, commemorating those who have devoted themselves to the nation.

The corporation’s subsidiaries are also practicing social contribution activities in their respective sectors.

Following the first project in the first half of the year, Lotte Global Logistics delivered custom hearing aids and flashing light doorbells for isolated elderly people with hearing impairments this month. The fund was collected by the employees donated a portion of their salaries every month.

Lotte Property and Development held a “healing” classical concert for 60 social workers in Songpa-gu, as well as monthly cultural events for people with disabilities in Lotte World Tower.

Last month, Lotte Homeshopping signed an agreement to create decent jobs for young people along with FKI Center for Large and Small Business Cooperation, Korea Radio Promotion Association, and Asia Exchange Association.

As an extension of its six-year-old old job search program for career-interrupted women, the company selected 70 unemployed youths and gave them job training, portfolio feedback, counseling and study abroad opportunities.