POSCO Volunteer Group 20 Years... Choi Jung-woo Sweats It Out at Gwangyang Site

Special Volunteer Activities by Over 27,000 Employees Worldwide

Posco Group, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 'Posco Volunteer Corps,' announced on the 14th that it will carry out special volunteer activities with about 27,000 employees worldwide.

Posco Group has designated September 9-16 as a special volunteer activity week and will hold the '2023 Global Model Citizen Week' in regions where Posco Group's business sites are located worldwide. The Global Model Citizen Week started in 2010 and has been held every year for 14 consecutive years.

This year's theme is '온고지신 (溫故知新) ; For a Better World 2.0,' meaning to inherit and develop the beautiful culture of sharing that has continued for the past 20 years.

Posco Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, Vice Chairman Kim Hak-dong, and the Gwangyang-based executive team participated on the 13th in cultural heritage care activities such as replacing traditional Korean paper doors (Munpungji) and floor bean dam work at the cultural heritage site Kim Sisikji (Kim Shisikji) in Taein-dong, Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. The Gwangyang Kim Sisikji building was erected to honor Kim Yeo-ik, who pioneered seaweed farming, the world's first. Posco Group explained, "Gwangyang is the world's first seaweed farming site and today is home to the world's largest single steel mill. This volunteer activity symbolizes the history of coexistence and development between Posco and the Gwangyang community."

Choi Jung-woo, Chairman of POSCO Group (far left), is replacing village insect screens with Jeong In-hwa, Mayor of Gwangyang (third from left), during the 'Change My Town' activity held in Gwangyeong-dong during the Global Model Citizen Week.
[Photo by POSCO Group]

Chairman Choi, along with Jeong In-hwa, Mayor of Gwangyang, visited Hagwang Village in Gwangyeong-dong, Gwangyang, where migrants who relocated during the construction of the Gwangyang Steelworks settled. They encouraged volunteer members participating in the 'Change My Town' activity and joined in themselves, reaffirming the spirit of coexistence between Posco Group and Gwangyang. 'Change My Town' is a joint volunteer activity regularly conducted in one village by the Gwangyang Steelworks Talent Volunteer Corps, Gwangyang City Hall Volunteer Corps, and partner organizations. Over 400 people, including about 30 talent volunteer groups and Gwangyang City Hall officials, worked together to improve the village environment through electrical repairs, screen door replacements, and more. Hagwang Village was the first sister village to form a partnership with Posco in April 1988.

Employees in regions such as Pohang and Gwangyang are conducting various volunteer activities, including sports events with people with developmental disabilities. Posco Holdings is engaged in removing invasive plants to preserve biodiversity in the Han River ecosystem; Posco International is volunteering by reading donated storybooks to multicultural families in the local community; Posco E&C is conducting beekeeping experience volunteer activities for future generations. These activities aim to preserve the local environment and foster community togetherness.

During the Global Model Citizen Week, the POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks Science and Technology Volunteer Group created a signboard for Hagwang Park using PosART and donated it to Hagwang Village. POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo (second from the right) and Gwangyang Mayor Jeong In-hwa (far right) are receiving an explanation from the volunteer members.

Volunteer activities continue in countries where Posco Group operates worldwide. The Australian and Mexican subsidiaries are hosting commemorative events inviting veterans who participated in the Korean War. In China and Indonesia, charity bazaars and donation events for underprivileged groups are held. In Malaysia and Thailand, activities such as mangrove forest restoration to protect ecosystems are being promoted to meet local community needs.

This year, Posco Group marks the 20th anniversary of the Posco Volunteer Corps and the 10th anniversary of the Posco 1% Sharing Foundation, which operates with 1% of employees' salaries matched by the company. Under the corporate citizenship management philosophy, Posco, having set an important milestone in social contribution, plans to continue striving to create economic, environmental, and social value.

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