Seoul, Korea ¶ The LG Welfare Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 25 for its fifth children’s house in Cheongju, Choongbuk Province. The children’s care center, with the 1.5 billion-won fund provided by the Welfare Foundation on the total building floor area of 780 square meters (8,400 sq. ft.), has the capacity of rearing 116 children. The 2-story building will be completed in September this year.

The house will be constructed with environmentally friendly materials, including the floor and wallpaper, to reduce chemical-induced skin problems and other circulatory conditions. At the groundbreaking ceremony, several dignitaries were present including LG Welfare Foundation president Chung Yoon-Suk, Cheongju City Mayor Han Beom-Duk, and a member of the National Assembly Oh Jei-Se.

Mr. Chung said in a speech, “It’s of absolute necessity for us to solve the problem of childcare to address the declining birthrates. Working mothers must feel comfortable leaving their children to the hand of childcare professionals.”

Since late 2007, the LG Welfare Foundation has supported the building of children’s care centers in locations such as Paju, Gumi, Osan, and Yeosu.

Sean Chung (press@whowired.com)