On March 20, Doosan Group’s Yonkang Foundation (Chairman Y. H. Park) offered a fund of 340 million won to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to be used in the Elementary Childcare Program of after-school schools, which is run for children from

marginalized families.

The Elementary Childcare Program was launched to take care of children from marginalized two-income families while the parents are at work.

The program, which is now being run at 215 classes in 166 schools in Seoul, has been acclaimed and strongly supported by parents.

Chairman Y.H. Park said at the delivery of the fund, "The first step to easing social polarization consists in bridging the educational gap between people of diverse income differences." He went on to say, “I hope that our donation will help two-income families

concentrate on their economic activity by keeping their children at after-school schools while they work."

The Elementary Childcare Program, which is conducted as a bid of the education and welfare business, is organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and is sponsored by Doosan Group’s Yonkang Foundation.

The Foundation plans to support a fund of over 1 billion won for this program, which was launched last year, by 2010.

Doosan Group’s Yonkang Foundation is an academic and cultural foundation which, since its inception 1978, has supported a range of scholarship, academic, and cultural programs.