[Distribution Hot People] "Please Dispose of Samdasoo PET Bottles Cleanly, They Are Reborn as New Resources"

Oh Seung-hyun, Head of Social Value Team at Jeju Development Corporation... "A World Where Small Actions Create Great Value"

Oh Seung-hyun, Head of Social Value Team, Jeju Development Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] “Jeju Samdasoo is not simply about increasing sales volume or market share. What sets it apart from other products is that it returns the precious groundwater resources of clean Jeju back to the local community and spreads corporate responsibility throughout our society.”

Since its launch in 1998, Jeju Samdasoo has never lost its number one market position, currently maintaining a solid leading position with over 41% market share. However, Oh Seung-hyun, head of the Social Value Team at Jeju Development Corporation, shook his head, saying that the ultimate goal of Jeju Samdasoo is not to expand sales or increase market share. He is confident that if the company fulfills its mission and spreads good values, consumer love for the excellent quality of Jeju Samdasoo will naturally continue.

The Social Value Team at Jeju Development Corporation carries out various tasks centered on social contribution. They focus on social contribution projects themed around the environment, one of the core management values of Jeju Development Corporation. In addition, they are responsible for customer satisfaction management as well as supporting the development and nurturing of various sports industries. Oh joined Jeju Development Corporation in 2003, starting in production and gaining experience in administration, and has been serving as the head of the Social Value Team since 2015.

His current focus is on the environment. Oh said, “Jeju Development Corporation was the first in Korea to directly collect Samdasoo waste PET bottles generated in the Jeju area and upcycle them into knit bags,” adding, “This has become a major turning point in environmental management by demonstrating the importance and potential of resource circulation along with environmental protection.”

In March, Jeju Development Corporation, together with the local nonprofit ‘Jejuin Social Cooperative,’ installed separate collection facilities for transparent PET bottles at 71 recycling help centers across the province and established a system for producing recycled raw materials. Through this, in May, they launched the ‘Rebirth, Return! Jeju Regional Resource Circulation Project’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Jeju Province, Hyosung TNC, and Pleats Mama, transforming collected waste PET bottles into fashion items such as bags and clothing. The company takes full ownership of the entire process from production to collection and upcycling, fulfilling its social responsibility.

How did a public enterprise come up with such an idea? Oh explained, “At last year’s residents’ forum, there was a demand for Jeju Development Corporation, which produces the Samdasoo product, to actively participate in environmental management by considering the characteristics of the waste generated.” He added, “As a result of this reflection, we went a step further from the existing PET bottle reward program to directly collect and upcycle the bottles.”

Previously, Jeju Development Corporation installed automatic PET bottle collection machines at Jeju Airport and popular tourist spots, where tourists can return PET bottles or cans and receive points in return.

Among the projects he has led in the Social Value Team, the one that stands out most is the tangerine juice project. Jeju Development Corporation’s tangerine juice project is an advanced social contribution program that purchases tangerines from local tangerine farms and delivers them to socially marginalized groups in Jeju. Rather than simply purchasing tangerines, they transform them into tangerine juice and jointly provide it free of charge to about 260,000 marginalized people and senior centers annually in cooperation with the Jeju Community Chest of Korea.

They also carry out various other support activities. Due to the Incheon tap water incident last year and this year, they promptly provided free bottled water to citizens in need, and recently, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, they delivered Jeju Samdasoo free of charge to socially marginalized households nationwide to help cope with heatwaves.

Oh said, “I feel great fulfillment because the social contribution activities and environment-centered projects of the Social Value Team have a positive impact on society, and I want to do more work together with Jeju residents and consumers in the future.”

Currently, the Social Value Team is expanding the upcycling project conducted in the first half of the year by launching a new project to collect and reward marine waste and waste PET bottles generated from fishing vessels and other operations and upcycle them again. Lastly, he emphasized, “I sincerely ask consumers not only to separate labels from waste PET bottles but also to dispose of them cleanly. Small participation makes upcycling easier and small actions can create a society with greater value.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.