POSCO and Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation Join Forces to Improve Marine Environment of Uninhabited Islands

Collected 2,468 Tons of Marine Waste Over 17 Years
Cleanup Efforts Expand from Gwangyang and Pohang to Uninhabited Islands in Gyeongsang and Jeolla Regions

POSCO is launching full-scale cleanup activities to improve the marine environment of uninhabited islands in partnership with the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation.

On April 22, POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation for improving the marine environment of uninhabited islands in cooperation with the private sector. Through this agreement, they are working to establish a sustainable marine ecosystem protection model based on public-private cooperation.

POSCO and the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve the marine environment of uninhabited islands together with the private sector. Photo by Gwangyang Steelworks

Going forward, the two parties plan to jointly conduct regular cleanup activities on uninhabited islands and surrounding waters, organize public-private marine cleanup campaigns, and undertake public awareness initiatives aimed at improving the marine environment.

In particular, with this agreement, the POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteer Corps will expand its activities—which had previously been centered around Gwangyang, Pohang, and other business sites—to include uninhabited islands in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions. As their first initiative, ahead of "Ocean Day" on May 31, they plan to carry out extensive cleanup operations on uninhabited islands near Goheung in South Jeolla Province and Guman-ri in Pohang.

The POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteer Corps, a talent volunteer group of POSCO employees launched in 2009, has so far attracted more than 24,000 participants, who have collected a cumulative total of 2,468 tons of marine waste.

Notably, around 180 volunteers with diver certifications are taking the lead in preserving underwater biodiversity and supporting local fishermen by collecting underwater waste and invasive marine species.

The Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, the nation’s only public institution specializing in marine environmental management, has been conducting marine waste collection projects on uninhabited islands since 2023. This collaboration is significant in that it strengthens the public-private partnership framework, going beyond public sector-led cleanup efforts.

Through public-private cooperation, POSCO is also continuing projects to prevent marine desertification, such as installing "Triton artificial reefs" and creating underwater forests.

In November 2024, POSCO, together with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, created a 0.5-hectare (5,000㎡) underwater forest in the Gupyeong 1-ri and Mopori sea areas in Pohang. Additionally, in the Gwangyang Bay area, POSCO is cultivating seagrass beds—an essential "blue carbon" resource that can absorb carbon up to 50 times faster than terrestrial forests.

Following the transplantation of 1,000 seagrass plants in November of last year, POSCO, together with Gwangyang City and the local community, transplanted an additional 10,000 seagrass plants in the Jangnae Port area in April. POSCO plans to further expand cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and local governments to distribute "sea fertilizer," which promotes the germination and growth of seaweed.

A POSCO representative stated, "We will strengthen institutional and technological collaboration so that the public-private partnership framework is not short-lived," adding, "We aim to build a long-term, mutually beneficial model that makes a tangible contribution to marine environmental protection and carbon reduction."

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