Chang In-hwa, seventh from left, chairman of POSCO Group and the POSCO 1% Foundation, poses with Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul, sixth from left, after signing a memorandum of understanding at POSCO Center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of POSCO
The POSCO 1% Foundation, a charity supported by POSCO Group employees who donate 1 percent of their monthly salaries, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on Wednesday to help wounded patriots and veterans reintegrate into society.
POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa, who also heads the foundation, said during the signing ceremony that those who sacrificed for the nation should not face hardship in their daily lives.
“I hope the POSCO 1% Foundation’s Wings of Hope program will serve as a platform that helps people who have rendered distinguished service to the state return to society,” he said.
The foundation and the ministry launched the program in 2020 to provide wounded soldiers and firefighters with customized assistive devices such as artificial limbs after assessing each recipient’s physical condition and daily routine. The program aims to help recipients adapt to the devices with support from professional therapists.
Since 2024, the foundation has supplied Korean-made wearable robots to five Veterans Health Service Medical Centers in Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon, enabling patients to use the devices to walk during rehabilitation therapy.
According to the foundation, several recipients of the advanced assistive devices have won gold medals at domestic para games and the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service members and veterans.
Source: Korea Times News
