A week before Chuseok, the Harvest Moon Festival in Korea, President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok visited an orphanage in Euiwang City, Gyeonggi-do (province). During their stay there, the Presidential couple and staff members from the office of the Senior Secretary to the President for Social Policy spent invaluable time with the children who do not have parents to care for them.

Arriving at the orphanage on a Saturday afternoon after the children had returned from school, President Lee started off the volunteer service by serving food and eating lunch with the children.

After lunch, the President joined other volunteers in laundering blankets and painting the playground equipment for about two hours.

In addition, the Presidential couple made songpyeon, half-moon-shaped rice cake, along with the children, and then gave them sporting gear such as soccer balls, basketballs and badminton rackets as well as stationery items and socks.

The volunteer work followed the President’s remarks at a Cabinet meeting on August 18 when he said, “During the Chuseok holiday, I hope that the ministers, vice ministers and senior secretaries of Cheong Wa Dae will visit social welfare institutions in person to do some volunteer work.”  

A total of 2,289 persons from 151 volunteer groups at 40 central ministries and agencies, including the Office of the President, visited social welfare facilities across the nation for children and the physically challenged during the weekend prior to Chuseok holiday.

The Government will make endeavors to lay the groundwork for a caring and sharing society by encouraging donations from citizens and participation in volunteer service. In addition, the Government will proactively work out measures for the protection of needy children whose number increases by about 10,000 a year.