Kiseok Trading (기석무역), a South Korean used clothing export and recycling company, has signed a business cooperation agreement with the international development cooperation NGO Jiphilanthropy (지파운데이션), committing to donate an average of 1,000 pieces of second-hand clothing per month from the signing date through December 2027, with all proceeds from sales going toward supporting vulnerable groups and local welfare projects. This is the core fact in the report directly related to the used clothing circulation industry.

Key Points

  • Kiseok Trading and Jiphilanthropy have agreed to regularly donate 1,000 pieces of second-hand clothing per month, with the agreement running through December 2027.
  • The donated clothing will be sold through Jiphilanthropy's Vintage and 같이 shops (second-hand goods stores), with all revenue going to vulnerable groups and local welfare programs.
  • Kiseok Trading specializes in second-hand clothing export and recycling. CEO Song Yeon-hee stated that the company will take the lead in promoting resource circulation through the reuse of vintage goods.

Kiseok Trading: Turning an Exporter's Inventory into Long-Term Donations

Kiseok Trading positions itself in South Korea as a "specialized second-hand clothing export and recycling company," essentially a used clothing distributor whose primary business is export. What it has established with Jiphilanthropy is a long-term donation mechanism rather than a one-time gift—the agreement explicitly extends the donation activity through the end of 2027, with a quantified target of "an average of 1,000 pieces per month." What makes this arrangement notable is that the donation takes the form of physical goods (old clothing), but the proceeds ultimately flow into social welfare channels.

Under the agreement, the old clothing handed over by Kiseok Trading will be sold through Jiphilanthropy's second-hand store channels, including Vintage and 같이 shops. The sales revenue will not be used for any other purpose—it will all go toward supporting vulnerable groups and regional welfare projects. In other words, this batch of goods both helps welfare organizations raise funds and re-enters the consumer end for circulation, extending the lifespan of the used clothing.

CEO Song Yeon-hee stated in the agreement: "It is a pleasure to be able to engage in long-term cooperation rather than just a one-time effort," adding that the company will use its own resources to help those in need and take the lead in promoting vintage goods reuse and resource circulation.

Another Subject in the Report: KB Insurance's Museum Public Welfare Program

The same report also covered the "KB Open Museum" (KB열린박물관) project, a collaboration between KB Insurance (KB손해보험) and the Korean Museum Association. On the 30th of last month, the Hanhyanglim Ceramic Art Museum in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, invited 20 children from local children's centers to participate in environmental sensitivity education, miniature painting, and economic and financial education taught by instructors from the KB Financial Public Welfare Foundation. The project has been running since 2016 and has benefited approximately 28,000 children cumulatively. This section is not directly related to the used clothing industry.

Implications for the Industry

The Kiseok Trading case shows that South Korean second-hand clothing exporters are combining "resource circulation" with "ESG donations" into a narrative they can present externally: the company's sourcing advantage—a stable supply of second-hand clothing—is both handed to an NGO to monetize for welfare purposes and simultaneously completes the corporate image output of circular reuse. For used clothing merchants reliant on exports, this is a cooperation model that is cost-controllable and also allows entry into public welfare and compliance discourse.

Source: [ESG] 기업들, 박물관 문화 체험과 중고의류 기부로 나눔 실천.. KB손해보험·기석무역 등 · Originally published on 2026-10-01