Chairmen Choi Tae-won and Choi Jung-woo Make 'Dosirak' in Pohang: The Reason Behind It

SK-POSCO Join Forces to Address 'Food Insecurity Among Vulnerable Groups' and 'Local Alleyway Market' Issues
Choi Jeong-woo POSCO Chairman and Choi Tae-won SK Chairman Volunteer Together in Pohang with 'Hope Sharing Lunchboxes'
Support for Over 2,600 Vulnerable Individuals, Expected Boost in Local Alley Restaurant Sales... Proposal Initiated by Chairman Choi Tae-won

From the left, Lee Hyung-hee, Chairman of the SV Committee of SK SUPEX Council, Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO, Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK, and Kim Hak-dong, Head of POSCO Steel Division.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo have joined forces to address the issues of food insecurity among vulnerable groups and challenges faced by local neighborhood businesses.

According to POSCO on the 31st, Chairman Chey Tae-won, Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, and employees from both companies gathered on the 29th at a small restaurant located in Songdo-dong, Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, to prepare 'Hope Sharing Lunchboxes' together and delivered the lunchboxes to elderly individuals living alone who have difficulty moving.

The joint volunteer activity held that day was initiated after POSCO, recognizing the limitations of providing only ready-made meals to users of free meal centers in Pohang and Gwangyang?whose operations were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic?sought alternative support measures. Chairman Chey Tae-won proposed to Chairman Choi Jeong-woo to provide high-quality lunchboxes that feel like homemade meals to vulnerable groups, which led to the project’s implementation.

In response, POSCO planned the Hope Sharing Lunchbox project to prepare and deliver lunchboxes to vulnerable groups in the Pohang and Gwangyang areas. The CEOs of both companies, who emphasize the management philosophy of 'Corporate Citizenship' and 'Social Value' respectively and agree that companies should actively engage in solving social issues, decided to start the volunteer activity together.

Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO, and Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK, along with executives and employees from both companies, are making 'Hope Sharing Lunchboxes' together at a restaurant located in Songdo-dong, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk. From the left: Nam Soo-hee, Pohang Steelworks Director; Kim Hak-dong, Head of POSCO Steel Division; Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO; Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK; Lee Hyung-hee, Chairman of SK SUPEX Council SV Committee.

SK has been running the Happy Lunchbox project supporting children facing food insecurity for the past 15 years, and since January has been leading efforts to support vulnerable groups by providing over 400,000 meals to elderly individuals living alone and others struggling due to COVID-19 through the 'One Meal Sharing On(tact) Project.'

Starting with this joint volunteer activity, POSCO plans to provide high-quality lunchboxes three times a week to approximately 2,600 users of five free meal centers it operates in Pohang and Gwangyang, as well as 12 free meal centers run by Pohang and Gwangyang cities, until the free meal centers resume operations. Since 2004, POSCO has been operating free meal centers in Pohang and Gwangyang to support meals for marginalized groups facing difficulties in securing food.

In particular, lunchboxes will be ordered and prepared through small local restaurants in the region (32 in Pohang and 21 in Gwangyang) that are struggling due to COVID-19, which is expected to also help boost sales in the local neighborhood markets.

Chairman Chey Tae-won said, "It is meaningful to work with POSCO in efforts to support food insecurity caused by the prolonged pandemic, and I am grateful that POSCO accepted SK’s lunchbox proposal. I hope more companies will join in broadening the purpose of corporate existence to create a warmer world."

Chairman Choi Jeong-woo responded, "I sincerely thank Chairman Chey for coming all the way to Pohang despite the cold wave. POSCO’s Corporate Citizenship and SK’s Social Value share the same aspirations. As corporate citizens, we will collaborate with various stakeholders to solve the problems faced by the era and society and create greater social value."

On the same day in Gwangyang, POSCO’s Head of Production Technology Division Lee Si-woo and steel mill executives prepared lunchboxes at a restaurant in Gwangyeong-dong and delivered them to 650 vulnerable individuals.

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