Toyota Korea announced that it held the ‘2023 Toyota Lexus Kimchi Sharing’ event on the 1st, in collaboration with the Seoul Social Welfare Council. Now in its 12th year, the event saw about 300 participants from Toyota Korea, its nationwide Toyota and Lexus dealers, and employees from Toyota Financial Services Korea.
The ‘Kimchi Sharing’ event is a hands-on volunteering activity where employees make kimchi to distribute to vulnerable communities. This longstanding social contribution program has been running since 2012. Since 2021, around 300 employees from nationwide Toyota and Lexus dealerships have joined, continuing warm sharing activities, delivering kimchi to welfare centers and social welfare organizations like ‘Anna’s House’ across various regions.
This year’s event was collaboratively planned by Toyota Korea and the Seoul Social Welfare Council, producing approximately 23 tons (about 8,000 heads) of kimchi across 11 welfare centers and ‘Anna’s House’ nationwide. The amount of kimchi prepared was 2,000 heads more than last year and was donated to those in need across the country.
Notably, attendees included Kaneyama Manabu, President of Toyota Korea, as well as Mitsuhiro Amo, Head of East Asia and Oceania Division at Toyota Motor Corporation, Takeda Katsutoshi, Consul General of Japan in Jeju, Kim Hyun-hoon, President of Seoul Social Welfare Council, and Ko Seung-hwa, President of Jeju Social Welfare Council, adding greater significance to the social contribution activities.
Kaneyama Manabu, President of Toyota Korea, stated, “The ‘Kimchi Sharing’ event is a sincere social contribution activity aimed at becoming a beloved corporate citizen in each locality alongside our national Toyota and Lexus dealers as one team. I hope the thoughtfully prepared kimchi will bring a little happiness to our marginalized neighbors during the winter season.”
Meanwhile, beyond the ‘Kimchi Sharing’ program for vulnerable groups, Toyota Korea actively engages in various social contribution activities, including supporting Anna’s House, a rehabilitation facility for the homeless, employee volunteering, the ‘Toyota Traveling Concert’ to deliver comfort to patients nationwide, and agreements to support disabled sports athletes, thereby establishing itself as a socially responsible company in Korea.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr