Korea's post office said on Monday it carried out a range of social contribution activities last year, from preventing risk factors among elderly and isolated households to supporting young people preparing for independent living.

The Ministry of Science and ICT's Postal Service Agency supported about 262,000 people in 2025 through 14 public interest programmes in 4 areas — based on post office infrastructure, support for underprivileged groups, fostering future generations and sustainability and environmental friendliness — as well as public insurance operations.

It used the post office network to help address blind spots in welfare support. It carried out tailored volunteer activities through 231 "Happiness Sharing Volunteer Groups" set up at post offices nationwide. The "welfare registered mail service", operated by 86 local governments in 2024, expanded to 96 last year.

The welfare registered mail service has mail carriers deliver registered mail to vulnerable residents and check living conditions to identify people eligible for welfare support. Through the programme, 19,000 households received support from local governments last year.

It also expanded the "Anbu Care Parcel" programme with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which makes regular visits to elderly and isolated households to prevent risk factors. After 15 local governments ran it as a pilot programme in 2024, it was included as a regular programme last year, with 31 local governments participating.

The agency also provided free caregiving services to 3,591 unaccompanied patients without guardians. For people with developmental disabilities, it supported the operation of cafes in unused post office spaces to share jobs. It also hosted a national wheelchair basketball tournament under the Postal Service Agency head's name.

It also ran public interest programmes to support future generations. The agency provided 245 young adults preparing for independent living with 300,000 won a month for food expenses. It also paid scholarships to 800 underprivileged youths, and provided children from households with disabilities with cultural experiences, daily life management and learning support through university student mentors for 240 children.

In the environmental area, it worked with the Post Office Public Interest Foundation and Happy Connect to operate a reusable cup circulation system at the Sejong Government Complex. The programme was assessed to have reduced disposable cup use by 1.15 million cups last year alone.

The "Post Office Republic of Korea Mom Insurance", which provides free coverage for children's rare diseases and pregnancy-related illnesses, recorded about 130,000 additional sign-ups last year. The "Happiness Insurance for 10,000 Won", which covers injuries for vulnerable groups, had about 27,000 new sign-ups. The agency also expanded support for free enrollment in the disability-only cancer insurance "Shoulder-to-Shoulder Insurance" and the "Youth Dream Insurance", bringing the number of beneficiaries of post office public interest insurance to about 160,000 last year.

The Postal Service Agency will carry out social contribution activities this year with a budget of 13.2 billion won, up 1.7 billion won from last year. It will strengthen support for vulnerable groups in local communities using post office infrastructure and identify related new projects in response to low birth rates and an ageing population.

Deputy Postal Service Agency chief Gwak Byung-jin said, "The post office is an institution that has grown with the love and trust of the people," adding, "We will continue to do our best to carry out social contribution activities so that warmth can be delivered to underprivileged groups."