For global companies it is often not easy to build successful CSR programs overseas due to differences in cultures, customs, and laws. However, the POSCO Group is working to form strong relationships with local communities near its offices and plants by being attentive to the local issues and actively working to find solutions together with the communities.

POSCO Vietnam helps improve homes with the POSCO Steel Village

Since 2009, POSCO Vietnam has been working to understand the needs of the local communities near its plant. By combining the needs of the community with the capabilities of POSCO and its group companies, POSCO was able to improve local housing through its POSCO Steel Village, POSCO Steel Bridge, and POSCO Steel Playground initiatives.

On November 30, 2016, POSCO Vietnam received the Excellent CSR Prize, the most prestigious prize from the Korean Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy at the 6th Korea-Vietnam CSR Awards in 2016. The award ceremony was held at the KOTRA Hanoi Office on December 28.

In particular, because POSCO Vietnam handles various licenses and permits for steel bridge construction, they formed a volunteer group with members from various POSCO partners. POSCO A&C participated in the design, SS-VINA supplied section steel products, and POSCO E&C processed and built the bridge.

The POSCO Steel Bridge project is seen as a model CSR activity by the local communities and the Vietnamese government. As a result, POSCO Vietnam was awarded with the Excellence in CSR designation, the most prestigious award from the Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at the 6th Korea-Vietnam CSR Awards on December 28, 2016.

POSCO Steel Village (left) will contain 104 households and is slated for completion in April 2017. The POSCO Steel Bridge in Vietnam (right) was completed in January 2016.

POSCO partners with local schools in Myanmar

In Myanmar, POSCO has been working to provide resources to local schools. Since 2014, POSCO E&C formed sisterhood ties with nearby secondary schools and signed an agreement to work with the National University of Arts and Culture in Yangon. POSCO E&C has donated educational materials and equipment, repaired educational facilities, organized cultural exchange activities, and built rainwater storage & drinking water facilities. More recently, POSCO has been leading the way in making improvements to the safety of Yowa Village. By partnering with POSCO’s 1% Sharing Foundation, they were able to build a bridge in the village with POSCO steel.

For these efforts, Myanmar-POSCO E&C recognized for its contributions to Myanmar’s local communities in the 2016 Myanmar Excellent CSR Company Awards that were held in Yangon, Myanmar in December 13, 2016.

Hyun-ik Choi (right), head of POSCO E&C Myanmar, receives the Prize of the Minister of Strategy and Finance of Myanmar from U Aung Naing Oo, Director General of DICA and General Secretary of MIC. The 2016 Myanmar Excellent CSR Company Awards took place at the Sedona Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar, on December 13.

POSCO Krakatau gives back to Indonesia

In Indonesia, the Krakatau POSCO Social Enterprise (KPSE) has been working to support secondary education, create jobs at the steel mill, and return profits to the local communities in Cilegon, Indonesia, where the steel mill is located.

KPSE, co-founded by the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation and KOICA, was awarded for its efforts at the ‘2016 Korea-Indonesia CSR Forum and Awards Ceremony’ that was hosted by the Korean Embassy in Indonesia and KOTRA on December 15, 2016.

KPSE manager and acting CEO Jang-gon Jeon (2nd from the left) and Andi Soko, officer of personnel management and general affairs at PT.KP (2nd from the right) stand with KPSE employees after receiving the Prize of the Director of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board. The awards ceremony took place at the ‘2016 Korea-Indonesia CSR Forum’ held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Indonesia.

POSCO Group’s overseas subsidiaries have been recognized for their broad contributions in CSR. POSCO Group will continue to promote win-win growth in partnership with local communities at home and abroad based on the Group’s unique values that recognize the overseas market as a partner and not as a business target.

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KPSE.SI offers jobs to the youth in three villages—Samangraya, Kubangsari and Tegalratu—in Cilegon, where the Krakatau POSCO steel mill is located. These areas in particular boast a high unemployment rate, so the creation of jobs is essential for these residents’ financial independence.

Once selected, trainees of the program perform environment management tasks such as recycling resources and managing the drainage channel at the steel mill for six months. They also participate in competency enhancement training programs such as computer training in their spare time and on weekends. Upon reaching a certain level of competency, they are usually transferred to a more stable and professional job.

Over half of the first batch of trainees were hired at the affiliate companies of Krakatau POSCO. The second batch of 26 trainees is currently receiving training provided by KPSE.SI in hopes of procuring the next available jobs.

A representative of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation noted, “The KPSE.SI case is considered a successful business model in that POSCO’s global corporate social responsibility business is creating jobs in local communities while improving the quality of environment management at the same time.”

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation is a non-profit organization that is financed by the donations of POSCO employees who contribute 1 percent of their monthly salary. The organization aims to improve the social welfare of socially neglected people, the independence of local communities in Korea and around the world and the preservation of traditional culture.