“Children are becoming adults too early”… The reality on the eve of Children's Day [Leaders of Together Future]

As Children's Day approaches in May, a poignant question was posed to children: 'What do you need most?' The answer was surprisingly simple: 'Give us time to play.' This is how Hwang Young-gi, president of the Green Umbrella Children's Fund, describes the reality he witnesses daily in child welfare. "Children are becoming adults far too early," he states, lamenting that they are trapped in an 'educational hell' with no room to even dream. He paints a stark picture of children burdened with family care, struggling between survival and academics, and exposed to online dangers. Hwang firmly believes that 'simple charity cannot change this reality,' thus underscoring the necessity of transitioning to 'impact-centered welfare' that fundamentally alters life trajectories.

Hwang, who has held prominent positions in Korea's financial sector, including CEO of Samsung Securities and KB Financial Group, brings a unique perspective to welfare. "Finance is an area evaluated by numbers, but welfare involves aspects that cannot be explained by numbers alone," he observes. While metrics like funding amounts and recipient numbers are important, they fail to capture the true extent of how children's lives have changed. He stresses the need to ask, "How much has our welfare work actually changed society, and how much better have children become?" He points out that an overemphasis on short-term results can sideline the long-term, life-altering impacts.

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Children are becoming adults far too early.

The keyword Hwang emphasizes is 'impact.' "It's more important to change the lives of 30 people than to thinly help 1.2 million," he asserts. For him, impact means 'interventions that change life trajectories,' not mere support. Welfare structures must be designed for sustained, long-term operation. For instance, simply providing financial aid to children from multicultural backgrounds is insufficient; language adaptation, education, and peer relationship building are crucial to prevent widening gaps. Similarly, for youth preparing to leave care, a lump sum payment offers only temporary relief. Comprehensive support, including job placement, social adaptation mentoring, and career planning, can lead to a fundamentally different outcome. "Giving money is charity. Enabling them to live on their own is impact," he clarifies.

Hwang also stresses the importance of stability within welfare organizations. "Welfare foundations should not be easily shaken," he states, highlighting the risks of drastic changes to donor trust and recipient security. Yet, he acknowledges that stagnation is not an option. To navigate this, he applies corporate strategy principles, setting visions up to 2030 with phased goals, timelines, and financial plans, all centered on performance and impact. "Vague visions are dreams. Plans are made by defining who will do what, by when, and how," he explains. The evaluation criteria within organizations are also shifting from simply counting recipients to measuring 'life changes' as the key performance indicator.

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Give us time to play.

Green Umbrella is focusing on underserved populations, including children who are family caregivers, those from multicultural backgrounds, youth preparing to leave care, and infants in crisis. Their annual budget is approximately 300 billion won. The issue of family caregiver children, in particular, had remained outside the scope of existing systems. These are children who shoulder caregiving responsibilities at a young age due to parental illness or disability. Hwang describes this as a structure where "children become adults far too early." Through field discovery and campaigns, they have raised social awareness and even advocated for legislative changes. "The greatest role a welfare organization can play is to change laws and structures," he believes. The problem lies in the excessive burden placed on children, where family care, livelihood, and academics converge, making daily life a struggle for survival. He contends that without changing this structure, the effectiveness of support will remain limited. Therefore, interventions are needed to help children recover their daily lives and growth.

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It's more important to change the lives of 30 people than to thinly help 1.2 million.

"There are children's protection zones on the streets, but none online," Hwang notes, diagnosing that as children's lives extend into the digital realm, the risks have also grown. He emphasizes the responsibility of platform companies: "Platforms must be responsible for identifying and removing harmful content." Green Umbrella recently held a press conference with lawmaker Cho In-cheol to urge legal and institutional improvements for child rights protection in the digital environment and to strengthen platforms' obligations for risk assessment and blocking harmful content.

Hwang shares a powerful anecdote that illustrates 'impact.' One day, an envelope containing 100,000 won arrived at the foundation. It was from the child of a family that had previously received assistance, sent with their first paycheck after entering university. "This is a case of a changed life." He sees the goal of welfare not just as providing support, but as creating a structure where lives are redirected and then contribute back to society.

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Giving money is charity. Enabling them to live on their own is impact.