[Consumerwide - Jinil Kang Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter] Entering the winter season, particularly December, there has been constant involvement of businesses in helping citizens who are vulnerable to energy poverty through sharing briquettes. Social contribution can be a measure of consumption value. Giving away briquettes is a volunteer initiative in which businesses and individuals engage actively. We are reporting this news based on data from December 6th, and we hope to see more business involved.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has announced their plan for supporting citizens this winter. Energy vouchers worth 304,000 won are given to beneficiaries of government subsidies for basic needs (households with no income). Additionally, the government supports both beneficiaries of government subsidies for basic needs and households with relevantly low incomes for heating expenses worth a maximum of 592,000 won (heat, gas, lamp oil, or LPG). A lamp oil voucher worth 641,000 won is provided to households with single parents or no parents if they are also beneficiaries of medical insurance and life expenses while using lamp oil. A briquette coupon worth 546,000 won is given to beneficiaries of life expenses and households of single elderly people or those with the lowest income.

In addition to government support, businesses are warming up at the end of the year by volunteering in various activities. Coupang Fulfilment Service has facilitated the Love of Sharing Briquette event at Kkulbeolmaeul, located in Gwacheonsi Gyeonggido. On that day, 60 members of the Coupang Fillfillment Service participated in a briquette sharing event. The Coupang Fillfillment Service sponsored three thousand units of briquettes for a social welfare corporation, "Babsang Community Welfare Foundation." Staff of the Coupang Fillfillment Service have also been involved in other volunteer work and sharing with local society and neighbourhoods in Korea. Approaching the Global Day of Blood Donation, they donated blood donation certification while volunteering to clean headstones at the Seoul National Cemetery in the Month of Patriots and Veterans. Recently, Coupang staff were involved in activities of caring for Korean heritage conservation at Changgyeonggung (a palace) located in Jongrogu, Seoul.

Korea Tyre and Technology is facilitating their third briquettes sharing activity this year in the Geumsangun Chungnam area on December 15th. Prior to the third activity, twenty staff members from the Geumsan factory participated in their second activity between November 30th and December 5th and delivered a total of 800 units of briquettes to three households in Jewonmyeon, Geumsangun, Chungnam. Korea Tyre and Technology plans to pass on a total of two thousand units of briquettes to seven families with vulnerable conditions in Burimyeon, Jewonmyeon, and Gunbukmyeon in Geumsangun Chumnam during three times of sharing. On the other hand, Korea Tyre is involved in various local area relevant social contribution activities for citizens in vulnerable condition through "Our Forest," wall painting in family units, hope sharing camps, and sponsoring with winter items.

Hundred staff members of KT&G passed six thousand briquettes to thirty households living in Baeksamaeul Junggaedong, Seoul, on December 5th, in cooperation with Jungang Group. KT&G and Jungang Group have been partnering for briquettes and sharing volunteer work for the last three years. These two businesses have donated a total of 70 thousand units of briquettes to Westart. Westart is going to give out briquettes, heating oil, and warming items to five hundred households, including those with energy poverty.

65 staff members of Jeju Air passed on 24800 briquettes and toiletpapers recycled from 12400 milk packs to citizens in vulnerable condition on December 2nd at Samsungdong Gwanakgu Seoul. They are planning on giving out briquettes at Bongcheondong Dongraegu Busa on December 16th. The Love of Briquette Sharing project began in 2018 in the Seongbukgu Seoul area, and till today, 1100 staff members have participated and passed on 113000 briquettes to citizens in vulnerable conditions.

Forty staff members of ABL Life passed on three thousand units of briquettes to citizens with vulnerable conditions in Danggogae station area (Noweongu Seoul) on December 1st. The briquette sharing activity is held monthly between October and December at Danggogae Station. In total, ABL Life has donated 30 thousand briquettes this year to the Babsang Community Welfare Foundation Briquettes Bank. ABL Life has been advancing in expanding sharing culture through various volunteer works, including sharing briquettes and Kimjang kimchi and participating in cleaning foster care facilities or playing with children this year.