SK Telecom has now given the precious gift of a beautiful smile to Vietnamese children, for ten years.

SK Telecom, and the Smile for Children organization, (President: Rong Min Baek www.smileforchildren.org.kr) have given 200 Vietnamese children with facial deformities free surgical operations from the 10th to the 19th of this month. These operations took place at the Bac Nihn Provincial Hospital in Bac Nihn, Vietnam (about 25 Kilometers North of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi). SK Telecom supported all of the expenses for this charitable contribution activity.

The Vietnam government has been asking the global community to support Vietnamese children with facial deformities, called "Uncheongi". This emerged as a hot issue throughout Vietnamese society in the mid 1990s. In response to this, SK Telecom and the Smile for Children participated in these medical support activities for the first time in Asia. This is how the "Free Surgery Activity for Vietnamese Children with Facial Deformities" started.

With its humanitarian desire to support and nurture children, SK Telecom made a firm commitment to carry out social contribution activities on a mid and long-term basis, regardless of business concerns. The company participated in this free surgery activity, before launching a business in Vietnam.

Under the slogan "Giving a new bright future to Vietnamese children", SK Telecom has offered this loving medical care in Vietnam since May of 1996. A total of about 2,100 children with facial deformities have regained their smile, as well as new lives, through these surgeries.

In addition to free surgeries, SK Telecom donated surgery equipment, expendables and medicines to the local hospital, and supported all of the expenses related to this activity.

Sung Bong Kim, head of SK Telecom’s Vietnam Regional Business Division, commented "As we continued to conduct social contribution activities over these last ten years, SK Telecom has greatly increased the Vietnamese citizenry’s confidence in Korea. In addition, this has contributed a great deal to strengthening the friendly official relationship between the two countries." He also added "SK Telecom’s social activity is expected to establish a robust base for creating economic "Korean Fever" in Vietnam, followed by a cultural "Korean Fever" created in the field of movies, drama, etc."

On the 17th of June SK Telecom held a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of free surgeries to Vietnamese children with facial deformities, at the Daewoo Hanoi Hotel. The company invited about 20 children who have been serving as a pattern for others after surgery to this ceremony, and delivered scholarships to their families.