Kangwon Land donates KRW29.6M after employee volunteering at Angel’s Day festival

Kangwon Land Inc participated in a two-day charity event in mid-October and donated KRW29.6 million (US$22,132) this year through its corporate volunteering programme, the company said in a statement. The contribution corresponds to 29 600 hours of employee volunteer work, converted into a donation under a ‘matching grant’ mechanism agreed with the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation in April.

Kangwon Land volunteering: presence at the “26th Angel’s Day Grand Festival”

The casino operator Kangwon Land Inc sent volunteers to the “26th Angel’s Day Grand Festival”, the annual gathering organised by the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation. The festival —held over two days in the second half of October— brought together approximately 800 children with cancer and their families and aimed to provide emotional support and recreational activities for those facing long treatment periods.

Kangwon Land employees prepared and distributed care packages to participating families. In the activities area, volunteers ran workshops to decorate reusable cups and games using recycled cardboard, with prizes awarded to participants. The company said these initiatives are designed to offer moments of enjoyment and normality to children and their families during hospital stays and treatment periods.

## Kangwon Land and the agreement with the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation on kangwon land volunteering

In April, Kangwon Land Inc signed an agreement with the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation under which the company converts employees’ volunteer hours into financial donations through a matching programme. Under that scheme the company reported donating KRW29.6 million (US$22,132) for 29 600 hours of accumulated volunteer service during the year.

The mechanism means that for each hour contributed by an employee the company assigns a monetary value that is added to the annual donation to the foundation. Kangwon Land said it plans to maintain and expand these participation channels and support by incentivising internal participation and developing new community actions.

## Financial and employment impact: key figures on kangwon land volunteering

• Total reported donation this year: KRW29.6 million (US$22,132).

• Volunteer hours converted: 29 600 hours.

• Festival participants: approximately 800 children and their families.

Kangwon Land Inc operates the Kangwon Land casino resort, which is the only casino in the Republic of Korea authorised to serve local residents. The company emphasised the coherence between its business model —which includes domestic-market casino operations— and its corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at the regional community.

## Management statement and continuity of the programme

“We are pleased to have provided a moment of enjoyment to the children and their families who face lengthy medical treatments,” said Kim Do-gyun, chief executive officer of Kangwon Land Inc.

Kim added that the company will continue to develop mechanisms that encourage employee participation in volunteering and philanthropic initiatives. Kangwon Land’s management presented the hours-to-donations scheme as a central element to increase staff engagement in social actions linked to treatment and the recovery of children with serious illnesses.

## Relevance for operators and practical action

The relevant points for operators and CSR leaders are clear: converting volunteer time into monetary donations can increase internal participation and generate recurring financial contributions to partnered NGOs. Kangwon Land combined in-person support at the festival with the formalisation of the April agreement, which allowed the conversion of employee hours into a concrete monetary figure.

For organisations in the sector interested in replicating the scheme, the observable steps in this case include:

1. Formalise an agreement with the beneficiary NGO that contemplates the conversion of hours into monetary donations.

2. Record and audit volunteer hours transparently.

3. Communicate internal incentives and the programme mechanics to increase participation.

## Local context and continuity for kangwon land volunteering

Kangwon Land Inc operates in a particular regulatory and social environment: its resort, Kangwon Land casino resort, holds a unique position in South Korea as the only facility permitted to serve local residents. The company presented the volunteering programme and donation as part of its community engagement policy and stated its intention to maintain and expand initiatives in collaboration with the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation.

The festival and the financial counterpart show a combination of direct fieldwork —activities and package distribution— with a formal funding mechanism that translates staff effort into resources for the NGO. For CSR officers in gaming and leisure companies across Asia, Kangwon Land’s case illustrates a replicable and measurable line of action. See practical guidance in our [b2b](/b2b) section for programme design and in [regulation](/regulation) for compliance considerations.

Gonzalo Marín, Corresponsal de operaciones del sector.