Gachon University is participating in the 'One Thousand Won Store' initiative in Gyeonggi Province for the second consecutive year, aiming to provide practical welfare support to alleviate students' living expenses.
According to Gachon University on July 31, the 'One Thousand Won Store for College Students' will operate from September to December, coinciding with the start of the second semester, in collaboration with Gyeonggi Province, NH Nonghyup Bank, Hana Bank, the Gyeonggi Social Welfare Council, and the Gyeonggi Community Chest.
The initiative offers food and essential living supplies in packages for 1,000 won, utilizing donations and sponsorships from businesses. It was first introduced by Gyeonggi Province last year to support college students facing increased economic burdens due to high prices, tuition fees, and housing costs.
Gachon University participated as a pilot institution alongside Pyeongtaek University last year, serving approximately 13,000 students and demonstrating a high usage rate. This year, the program has expanded to include Ajou University, Yuhan University, Kyungbok University, and Nonghyup University, bringing the total to six participating universities in the province.
The student council at Gachon University will manage the program this year, increasing the number of operations compared to last year and diversifying the offerings based on student preferences. Items will include ready-to-eat meals, ramen, home meal replacements (HMR), side dishes, frozen foods, and health and beauty products.
This is aimed at improving the operational method so that more students can experience tangible reductions in their living expenses.
Park Jun-ki, president of the student council, stated, "We have actively reflected students' opinions by expanding the variety of items and the frequency of operations. We will run this as a welfare program closely aligned with students' needs, allowing more students to use it without financial burden."
Students who used the store last year expressed their appreciation, saying, "Living alone, food expenses are a significant burden, but the One Thousand Won Store helped me save on living costs," and "I was able to buy essential items like ready-to-eat meals and frozen foods at a low price. I hope the frequency of operations increases and that this welfare initiative continues every semester."
Community voices have positively evaluated the expansion of the program, recognizing it as a policy that alleviates the economic burden on college students.
Gyeonggi Province expects that expanding the number of participating universities will allow more students to benefit from the initiative.
Meanwhile, Lee Gil-yeo, the university president, remarked, "The One Thousand Won Store is a practical welfare initiative that reduces students' living expenses. We will continue to collaborate with the community and relevant organizations to expand welfare policies that students can feel and create a stable educational environment."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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