Together with her mother and younger brother, Phạm Ngọc Huyền (right), 8, living in Đồng Nai Province and born with cleft lip and cleft palate, now gets back her beautiful smile thanks to the Hyosung Group’s medical programme called “Smile Expedition.” — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

ĐỒNG NAI — Phạm Ngọc Huyền, an 8-year-old from Đồng Nai Province, got back her beautiful smile through the South Korean firm Hyosung Group’s medical programme for people with cleft lip and cleft palate.

Huyền was born with cleft lip and cleft palate, a condition where her upper lip and mouth were separated. Her family is in a difficult circumstance living in Hiệp Phước Commune in the province’s Nhơn Trạch District.

Thanks to Hyosung's medical programme called “Smile Expedition”, she was offered free surgery for the first time at Gachon University Gil Hospital in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in 2016 when she was just one year old.

Last year, Hyosung continued to provide support to help her undergo a second surgery at the National Children's Hospital in Hà Nội and she is leading an almost normal life now.

Huyền had a recent interview with reporters from the Vietnam News Agency's (VNA) Việt Nam News newspaper and RoK’s Yonhap News Agency that reviewed exemplary cases that have yielded positive results as part of the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

She shared that she now can speak better, eat easier, and can play and have fun with friends after undergoing the surgeries.

She said with a big smile: “I'm so happy because I can eat my favourite fried chicken.”

"I want to become a doctor to be able to offer medical check-ups and treatment to the poor and needy people," she expressed.

During the interview, Huyền’s mother, Phạm Thị Bình, 37, expressed her deep gratitude towards Hyosung Group’s support.

Bình shed tears when talking about the difficulties that she and Huyền had to face when her daughter was born with a disability.

Doctors said that early surgery is very important for children with cleft lip and cleft palate, because food may reflux into the nose or affect their respiratory system.

Children with cleft lip and palate are also exposed to several risk factors for physical development and language delays, affecting their facial appearance and confidence.

Bình and her husband were very surprised and devastated as their daughter’s face was deformed when she was born, but more painful than that was the treatment for her was not affordable due to financial difficulties, she said.

“Fortunately, my daughter received surgical support from the “Smile Expedition” programme through an introduction from my uncle, who is working at Đồng Nai Province-based Hyosung Việt Nam,” she said. 

Hyosung Việt Nam general director Kim Kyung Hwan (middle) takes a picture with his employees at the company’s Tire cord plant located in Nhơn Trạch 5 Industrial Zone in Đồng Nai Province. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

CSR efforts

In 2007, a factory of Hyosung Việt Nam Co. Ltd. was established in Nhơn Trạch 5 Industrial Zone in Đồng Nai Province.

Up to now, Hyosung Group has invested more than US$3.2 billion in Việt Nam, and has eight facilities across the country, including in Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Quảng Nam and Bắc Ninh provinces, and has created jobs for about 9,000 labourers.

Kim Kyung Hwan, general director of Hyosung Việt Nam, said the company is carrying out a number of social activities as a part of its responsibility towards development commitments.

“We always follow Chairman Cho Hyun Joon’s business motto, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’ and maintain our slogan, ‘Global excellence, innovation, accountability and integrity’,” he said.

Implemented in Đồng Nai Province since 2011, the “Smile Expedition” programme’s medical volunteer team, including about 30 Korean doctors and nurses, provides free healthcare services for disadvantaged people in many fields such as dentistry, obstetrics, internal medicine and orthopedic surgery.

More than 1,500 Vietnamese people with disadvantages have benefited from the programme.

At the end of October this year, the company will cooperate with the medical team of Korea University Anam Hospital to continue conducting this programme.

A library in an elementary school in Đồng Nai Province renovated by Hyosung Việt Nam.  — Photo courtesy of Hyosung Việt Nam

The company has renovated three kindergartens in Đồng Nai and Quảng Nam provinces, and seven libraries for primary schools in Đồng Nai Province, aiming to improve the educational environment for local students.

A total of 1,300 computers have been donated to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools in Đồng Nai Province since 2013, and are replaced with new ones every five years.

Since 2018, more than 1,190 Vietnamese children living in low-income areas have received support from the donation of a portion of the monthly salary of all employees in the group’s Korean headquarters, and the company also supports with a donation of the same amount.

In addition, the company is also implementing projects to support Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and single mothers. 

Hyosung Việt Nam donated computers to Phú Hữu Elementary School in Đồng Nai Province's Nhơn Trạch District. — Photo courtesy of Hyosung Việt Nam

Việt Nam and the RoK officially elevated their relations to the level of “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in December last year.

Economic cooperation between the two countries has been strongly promoted. This can be attributed to the joint efforts and contributions of South Korean businesses and local workers working together for mutually beneficial economic prosperity for both sides. — VNS