Hana pledges more job creation via social venture program

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, front row center, poses with participants of its social venture university program, at its headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

By Lee Min-hyung

Hana Financial Group has pledged to create more jobs via its “social venture university” program, the company said Sunday.

The financial holding firm has clinched partnerships with universities across the nation to launch the program with the purpose is to create more innovative jobs. This was part of Hana's efforts to fulfill the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) management criteria, the company said.

The company held an event recently to share the outcomes from the program. A total of 18 social venture teams, venture facilitators and officials from affiliated universities gathered for the event. Hana also picked three teams for an award ceremony and offered financial aid worth 150 million won for them to start their own startups. The company also invited regional entrepreneurs for young participants to enhance their networking for their future business development.

“Any job-related problems ― such as youth unemployment ― can be resolved only when young entrepreneurs actively expand their business, and startups and venture firms continue to develop,” Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said. “We will keep making efforts to create a virtuous cycle of job creation and corporate growth by running the social program in a sustainable manner.”

The social venture university program was started in July, and a total of 292 teams nationwide have taken part in the program under partnership with 10 universities.

Hana is running a diverse range of job creation programs not just for young people, but also underprivileged groups including small business owners and single mothers, with a view to alleviating social inequality, the company said.