l POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group receives Presidential Commendation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety
l The volunteer group recognized for their environmental activities in the sea area near Pohang Works, including restoration of the marine ecosystem near Ulleungdo and Dokdo
▲ Sang-Gil Lee, Director of POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, is receiving the Presidential Commendation from Prime Minister Sye-Kyun Chung
On March 3, POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group received the Presidential Commendation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, an organization of POSCO employees, received the award for their contribution in conserving the marine ecosystem with weekly marine clean-up activities in the Yeongil Bay area near Pohang Works.
POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group received attention for carrying out activities to collect garbage both in the coastal area and underwater. POSCO executives and employees with skin scuba licenses dive into the sea to collect marine debris, such as waste tires, plastics, and fishing gear. Also, since 2013, they have been dedicated to collecting large-sized marine waste. As a result, the group has collected about 1,000 tons of marine waste for 11 years since its foundation in 2009.
Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group also received attention for their volunteer activities reflecting the local community. One such example is the marine clean-up activities on Ulleungdo and Dokdo, where the whitening phenomenon* is threatening the marine ecosystem. The group has improved the livelihood of local residents and the marine ecosystem by collecting ocean wastes and starfish. Last year, they visited coastal villages in Pohang, where the typhoons Mysak and Highsun struck and carried out underwater clean-up and inland garbage collecting activities. Also, POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteer Group is channeling its effort into collecting plastic wastes from the ocean, which has become a social issue in recent years.
*Whitening phenomenon: A phenomenon in which marine algae living in the coastal rock beds disappear and are replaced with coralline algae, thus causing sea desertification. Starfish are regarded to accelerate the phenomenon since they feed on marine algae.
This award is especially more meaningful because it was recommended by the public. The National Recommendation Award, selected by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is rewarded through recommendations from the people. Of the 755 people nominated by the public this year, 46 were selected as the award recipients, and POSCO Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group won the honor of the Presidential Commendation.
Sang-Gil Lee, head of the Pohang Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, said, “The warm support of local residents in Pohang is a huge strength for us to continue with our volunteer activities. As a Corporate Citizen sharing growth with the local community, we will actively carry out activities to protect the ocean.”
Meanwhile, POSCO operates Clean Ocean Volunteer Groups in Gwangyang and Seoul, as well as Pohang. POSCO has also continued activities to restore the marine ecosystem, such as creating a sea forest using Triton, the artificial reef.