Interior ministry launches Chuseok volunteer drive amid UN year of service

The interior ministry said it will operate a concentrated volunteer period from Sept. 14 to Sept. 23 to foster national unity ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

Government ministries, local authorities and private organizations will cooperate to form volunteer teams for joint sharing activities.

Planned activities include visits to vulnerable households, sharing holiday meals, spreading heartwarming stories and conducting safety inspections. Local volunteers will visit elderly people living alone and welfare facilities to deliver food, while special events will be held for foreign workers and multicultural families to ensure no community members are excluded.

Authorities also plan to thank volunteers and donors who have dedicated themselves quietly, alongside traffic control in crowded areas and checks on vulnerable sites to ensure safe travel for hometown visitors.

"As this year is the UN-designated Year of Volunteers, we hope warm sharing toward neighbors will spread even more widely," Kim Min-jae, vice minister of the interior ministry, said. "Moving forward, the ministry will continue to provide support so that volunteering and sharing can take root as a culture in daily life."