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Samsung Fire & Marine marks 32 years of guide dog training

Published: 27 Aug. 2025, 14:21

Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the People Power Party and her guide dog Taebaek attend the 32nd anniversary ceremony of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 26. [SAMSUNG FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE]

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance marked 32 years of its Samsung Guide Dog School in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday, with new partnerships forming and old ones coming to an end in a program deriving from the company's goal of corporate social responsibility.

Speaking at the 32nd anniversary ceremony of the guide dog school in Yongin, Gyeonggi, Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the People Power Party stood beside her current guide dog, Taebaek, who calmly remained at her side. Taebaek is Kim’s fourth guide dog since entering the National Assembly and succeeded Joy, who was also present with their new adoptive family.

Kim gently petted Joy and said, “Your fur's longer and you’ve gained weight since we did parliamentary work together.”

Taebaek, the guide dog of Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the People Power Party, surveys the area around the podium as Kim delivers a proposal explanation and committee report for the Health and Welfare Committee at the National Assembly in western Seoul on March 13. [NEWS1]

At the event, eight guide dogs were paired with new partners, marking the start of a new chapter.

Among them was Sun Ji-won, an athlete who won a silver medal in the 10-kilometer marathon at last year’s National Para Games. Sun appeared on stage with her fourth guide dog, Nari.

“With Nari, who gives me positive energy, I feel like I can run to the ends of the earth,” Sun said.

Guide dogs typically retire after seven to eight years of service. Five dogs, including Joy, formally retired on Tuesday and were handed over to new families. The dogs' former partners and the volunteers who raised them said they were parting with "countless memories."

The school was established in 1993 by the late Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee as part of his “new management” initiative. It remains the world’s only guide dog school run by a corporation.

Since the school’s founding and its first guide dog, Bada, it has set up about 15 dogs with owners annually. The school has paired 308 dogs in total, 85 of which are currently active.

To become a guide dog, puppies undergo a year of socialization training with host families starting around two months of age. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance also runs several volunteer programs, including care for retired guide dogs and parent dogs that help produce the next generation. To date, more than 2,800 households have participated in these programs.

"The past 32 years of the guide dog school were made possible thanks to volunteers, the government and local communities walking together as one," said Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance CEO Lee Mun-hwa. "We will continue efforts to improve the social environment and public awareness."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK YU-MI [[email protected]]