For Hansem Global founder and CEO Yangsook Kim, giving back is not about how much one contributes. It is about making a commitment and keeping it. That belief has guided her charitable work for more than 20 years.
In September 2026, Joongboo Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, featured Yangsook Kim in its Love in Giving series. The interview highlighted her long-standing charitable activities, her support for the Korean Red Cross, and the importance she places on giving consistently rather than occasionally.
Behind the story is a simple principle: When people depend on your support, keeping your promise matters.
A Promise Made in 2004
Yangsook Kim’s charitable work began in 2004, when she learned about a welfare organization in Jinhae, South Korea, that provided meals and after-school support for children from low-income families, including those being raised by their grandparents.
She began contributing KRW 1 million each month to support the organization’s work.
As Hansem Global grew, she considered increasing the amount. However, the organization asked her to continue the existing support for as long as possible instead.
The reason was straightforward. The organization planned its activities around regular contributions. A sudden end to that support, even after several years of generous donations, could disrupt the children’s daily lives.
That conversation changed how she thought about giving.
Rather than focusing on the amount of a donation, she came to believe that reliable, long-term support could make a greater difference.
The commitment she made in 2004 has continued for more than two decades.
Making Giving Part of the Workplace
Over the years, Kim expanded her charitable activities through the Korean Red Cross. In addition to financial contributions, she has regularly participated in hands-on volunteer activities, including preparing and serving meals, making kimchi, and packing food and relief supplies for people in need.
Through these activities, she has worked alongside other volunteers, putting her belief in consistent giving into practice.
Financial contributions have also been an important part of her long-term commitment. According to the September 2026 interview with Joongboo Ilbo, contributions made since April 2012 had reached approximately KRW 450 million (USD 330,000).
In 2020, Hansem Global also became a member of the Korean Red Cross’s Red Cross Honors program for corporate donors.
But Kim wanted charitable giving to extend beyond her personal contributions.
In 2012, Hansem Global introduced an employee donation initiative built around a simple idea. Employees could contribute unused overtime meal vouchers, which the company converted into cash donations. Hansem Global supplemented these contributions, and the donations were made in the employees’ names.
Through this initiative, more than KRW 200 million (USD 145,000) has been donated in employees’ names.
The program demonstrates that giving does not always require a major financial contribution. Small individual actions, when brought together and continued over time, can create meaningful support for others.
The Values That Have Guided Hansem Global
Founded in 1990 as a technical writing company in South Korea, Hansem Global has grown into an international provider of technical content, translation, localization, and technology-driven solutions.
Over more than 35 years, the company has expanded its expertise and services in response to changing client needs.
Long-term relationships, consistent quality, and a willingness to take responsibility have remained important throughout that journey.
Although charitable work and business operations serve different purposes, they reflect some of the same values: honoring commitments, thinking beyond immediate results, and building relationships that last.
For Kim, these are not principles that apply only to business. They are also reflected in the commitments she has maintained outside the workplace.
Small Actions, Lasting Impact
One message stood out in Kim’s interview with Joongboo Ilbo: Giving should not be measured only by the amount contributed.
Even a small donation can make a meaningful difference to someone who needs it.
Her story is not simply about two decades of charitable contributions. It is about the value of consistency, the importance of keeping promises, and the belief that responsibility is demonstrated through actions over time.
As Hansem Global continues to grow and serve clients around the world, these values remain an important part of the company’s identity.
Source and Currency Note
Based on an interview with Yangsook Kim published in Joongboo Ilbo in September 2026 as part of its Love in Giving series. Original Korean article: https://www.joongboo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=363738133
USD equivalents are approximate, based on the USD/KRW exchange rate on September 30, 2026 (approximately KRW 1,356.87 per USD); amounts are rounded for readability.