[The Public=Reporter Yoo Su-jin] Dongguk University said on the 6th that its Chamsaram Social Contribution Center dispatched the Chamsaram Volunteer Corps (the "corps") for a two-day deployment starting on the 2nd to Hwangji-ri village in Gunnam-myeon, Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province to assist with farm labor.
A total of 39 people participated, including 34 members of the corps. The effort aimed to ease labor shortages during the busy planting season and to promote cooperation with the local community.
Volunteers planted pepper seedlings, sowed seeds, pulled weeds, assisted with various farm tasks, and carried out cleanup activities around the village. A corps representative said, “Although our time was short, we participated in a range of farm work to provide practical assistance.”
The program allowed students to experience rural labor firsthand, appreciate the value of physical work, and strengthen their sense of community through direct engagement with residents.
A local agriculture official noted that rural areas are facing severe labor shortages each busy season due to rapid population aging and instability in the supply of foreign workers. He said regular university volunteer deployments provide critical, practical labor and serve as an effective channel to introduce younger generations to the importance of agriculture and foster rural-urban cooperation.
Lee Su-ye, dean of student affairs at Dongguk University and chair of the D-ESG Social Contribution Committee, said the university is expanding student-led ESG initiatives as part of its D-ESG management framework. “We hope students internalize the value of giving through volunteer service and grow into ‘Chamsaram’ leaders who develop alongside their communities,” Lee said. She added that the university will continue social contribution activities to fulfill its social responsibilities.
The Dongguk University Chamsaram Volunteer Corps was formed in March 2013 with the aim of “becoming true people through true action and true practice.” It reached its 25th term in the first semester of the 2026 academic year. The corps’ 41 members currently engage in a wide range of activities—ESG outreach, community service, educational programs in underserved areas, and overseas missions—putting into practice the Buddhist spirit of compassionate giving.
