Back in September 2016, 28 ASEAN heads of state, education ministers and representatives of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization gathered together and committed to tackling the problem of youth without regular education. The Project for Out-of-school Children in ASEAN is a follow-up to the declaration, and it’s the first project that UNESCO is carrying out this year alongside an enterprise.

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation is aiming to leverage the Flexible Learning Strategies (FLS) program developed by UNESCO, to provide alternative education for the children of the underprivileged, ethnic minorities and migrants in cooperation with the education ministries of individual countries.

The 3-year project will be supported by the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation, using the donated 1 percent of members’ salaries. The project will kickstart in Thailand, where they have the highest percentage of out-of-school children in ASEAN (7.6 percent). POSCO plans to cover 2,000 children in 4 regions (Chiang Rai, Ranong, Songkhla and Rayong) where POSCO Thainox, POSCO-TCS and POSCO-TBPC are based, and expand the project to Indonesia and Myanmar.

Jeong-sik Kwak, head of the ER Office of POSCO, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay signing the agreement.

“I hope that this partnership with a world-class steelmaker like POSCO will become a model of providing opportunities for quality education to underprivileged children and youths,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “I hope that these activities will spread throughout the world, and everyone will make concerted efforts to make sure that the notion of out-of-school children will become a thing of the past.”

At home, one of the core focus areas of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation is facilitating the self-reliance of future generations. Starting this year, the foundation increased the number of people eligible to receive support from the Chinchin Rainbow project to 70. The customized career project will support 70 children of migrant families such as multicultural families and North Korean defectors. Last December, it also entered into an MOU with the Children’s Self-Reliance Support Team of Korea Human Resource Development Institute for Health & Welfare to help children transition smoothly from welfare facilities and foster homes to society.

Cover photo courtesy of UNESCO.

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation was created in 2013 to mobilize support from POSCO Group employees and subcontractors. Volunteers donate 1% of their monthly salary to the foundation, which then goes to fund projects for communities that need support the most.

The Foundation has completed a number of meaningful projects under this venture utilizing the company’s advanced steel products, such as PosMAC and PosCozy. From Korea to Myanmar and Vietnam, POSCO employees have helped with the construction of numerous houses, playgrounds, and villages.

Myanmar Steel Bridge

In Hmawbi, a village outside of Yangon, Myanmar, villagers were struggling to cross the wooden bridge they had used for years. The wooden planks were rotting with holes making it unsafe and difficult to cross. During the rainy season, it was near impossible to use. In order to help the residents of Hmawbi commute safely, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation decided to replace the old bridge with a new one made of steel.

Residents of Yoewa Village crossing the steel bridge built by POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation

The newly built bridge, 3 meters wide and 20 meters long, utilized POSCO steel plates and PosMAC, a World Premium Product known for its unique strength, lightweight, and durable properties. On May 24, the foundation completed the construction of the steel bridge with the help and collaboration of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation. Over 150 people including POSCO employees, residents of Hmawbi, and other partners in Myanmar gathered to celebrate the completion of the project.

POSCO Vietnam Steel Village

On June 13, POSCO Group holds a ceremony for completing the construction of 104 steel houses in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

In response to the request of Vietnam’s government to build a residential complex for the underprivileged in the Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, POSCO Group began building houses in Vietnam’s largest business clusters near Ho Chi Minh City in 2014. Over the course of three years, over 1,500 POSCO Group employees and student volunteers have participated in various construction work, including a steel framing job, building walls, and painting, to help build houses for low-income families.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation uses its advanced steel solutions to provide support for those in need.” quote=”The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation uses its advanced steel solutions to provide support for those in need.” theme=”style6″]

With donations from the POSCO 1% Foundation and using POSCO’s advanced steel solutions, the project was completed on June 13. Together with Habitat for Humanity, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation built a total of 104 steel houses in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province for 500 low-income families. While POSCO SS-VINA provided H Beams for building the house frames, POSCO A&C was in charge of supplying insulation materials that can absorb rain impact noise and block direct sunlight as well as designing the natural ventilation system.

POSCO Korea Donggurang Steel Land

In Korea, the POSCO 1% Foundation built Donggurang Steel Land, an indoor playground for children, and donated it to the local government in Incheon. Previously in 2013, the foundation established an agreement with the Incheon Government Office to build public facilities for children of dual-income families and began the construction. The playground includes an artificial rock climbing wall, a smart gym board, and other facilities that provide children with a safe environment in which to play.

POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation’s Donggurang Steel Land

The two-story facility was designed and constructed using POSCO’s own materials and technology. While the roof was built with corrugated steel plates with corrosion-resistant steel, the outer wall was constructed by applying a steel curtain wall system. In order to reduce noise between floors, POSCO’s flooring system, PosCozy, was also applied.

POSCO hopes that the newly built bridge and facilities can represent POSCO’s strong desire to connect community goals with the company’s resources and expertise to accomplish healthy and sustainable neighborhoods. Building on years of successful contributions to local communities around the world, POSCO will continue to strive to become an exemplary case of sustainable growth. 

Volunteer activities include helping to improve housing conditions for underprivileged neighborhoods, baking, painting murals, and mentoring the local youth. On May 30, POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon and over 30 employees will visit Myeongryundang of Sungkyunkwan Munmyo (a Confucian shrine) and help repair and replace the Changhoji (traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark for doors and windows).

POSCO hosts the “’2017 POSCO Global Volunteer Week” from May 24-30. This photo shows POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon and other employees volunteering during last year’s Global Volunteer Week.

Volunteer activities will also take place in the various countries where POSCO Group branches are located (China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and Poland). Volunteer activities are customized for local communities and range from improving and repairing the welfare facilities in slum areas to cleaning up the environment and setting up cultural activities for disabled children.

Not only does POSCO ask its employees to help strengthen the community through the Global Volunteer Week, but it also contributes to the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation to assist those in need.

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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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POSCO Global Volunteer Group, Off to Vietnam!

The fourth Global Volunteer Group was exclusively selected by the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation’s internal contest, which had a competitive selection ratio of 1:7. From August 20 to 28, the volunteers participated in housing construction activities at the POSCO Steel Village located in the Tân Thành district, part of the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu province of Vietnam.

Beginning last year, the Global Volunteer Group’s activities were designed for POSCO’s 1% Sharing Donor employees to visit overseas and participate in overseas CSR activities to experience sharing opportunities and promote them to a greater extent.

The volunteers who used their annual leaves to join this trip participated in an orientation session upon their arrival in Vietnam. During the orientation, they received safety education, shared a 9-day volunteering schedule and were introduced to Vietnam’s culture and home partners to quickly adapt to volunteering abroad.

They also had a meaningful time at a neighborhood orphanage by painting a playground and decorating dolls with children. Their visit to the orphanage was initially intended to give encouragement to the children, but volunteers said afterwards that they too gained great support. Furthermore, the volunteers visited home partners (future residents) to greet them and explain construction service plans. The expected residents expressed gratitude to the volunteers who had traveled many miles to build shelters for their communities.

Officially launched on Monday, the volunteers’ construction activity was a scene of utter devotion. Despite the extremely hot weather, all volunteers were giving their very best. The home partners who the residences were being built for also participated, which added more value to the service.

All participants, including the volunteers and the home partners, started each day with a safety guideline training which was led by Chansu Kim, Head of the Safety Department. Volunteers who had already received the training in Korea signed safety pledges to ensure safe conditions on site. In addition, volunteers with safety engineer qualifications were selected for each group to take charge of safety check-ups, toolbox meetings, and safety slogan reminders.

Thanks to these efforts, the volunteers were able to participate in the service without any accidents. Since it was monsoon season in Vietnam, there were heavy rains in the afternoon when all construction activities were in process. Because of the blustering rain, one of the domestic volunteers broke into tears, but was quickly offered support from other volunteers ensuring to build sturdy houses for the home partners. Also, during the four days of construction, employees from POSCO Vietnam’s affiliates (POSCO-Vietnam, SS-VINA, VST, VHPC) visited the construction site to assist. From POSCO group companies to local employees, it was a unified activity from the POSCO family.

On the last day at Vũng Tàu, the volunteers finally presented the completed houses to the home partners. For those who had been living in poor residential conditions, the new sturdy houses brought big change to their lives. The volunteer activity was wrapped up by a ceremony presenting the 40 houses that were built during the first half of 2016. Dongho Kim, the Managing Director of POSCO-Vietnam the Vice Chairman and Head of Labor Department at Tân Thành People’s Council wished for the new homeowners to live happily in the new houses.

In other aspects, POSCO Steel Village is a large scale social contribution project created through the collaboration of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation, POSCO-Vietnam and the local government to construct 104 steel houses in the Tân Thành District, 100km away from Ho Chi Minh City. The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation funded the construction; the local government provided a location; POSCO A&C designed the steel houses optimized for the local environment; and POSCO SS-VINA produced steel materials for construction. With these supports, POSCO employees and university student volunteers worked together with Habitat for Humanity, an international non-governmental organization, to provide volunteer construction service.

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation will continue to provide various CSR activities in international and domestic locations to fulfill its responsibility as a global corporate citizen. More than 50 volunteers share their experiences below, revealing the great opportunities that await for any employees interested in volunteering in the future.

Volunteers’ Experiences from the Fourth Global Volunteer Group

We would like to introduce touching experiences from volunteers of the most recent volunteer group, filled with passion and a love for sharing.

POSCO STS Steel Production Group – Chansu Kim

“Our one week in Vietnam was a meaningful time for my life and career. I believe a new turning point was necessary for volunteer services. Thank you all who participated in the event.”

POSCO E&C Marketing Group – Jungho Kim

“Thank you for granting me an opportunity to participate in my very first volunteering activity. For the pure hearts of the children who were playing in the rain, I wish them happiness and joy in their future.”

POSCO ICT POSCO IT Business Group – Wonil Kim

“I went there to help but I received it instead. I went there to express love but I came back with more love. Now, I can see what my responsibility is. Thank you for the opportunity to see a different world.”

POSCO Gwangyang Hot Rolling Group – Byoungdu Moon

“One person’s journey is lonely and desolate, but a journey between two people is friendly and enjoyable. For three people, the journey is exciting and heart-warming, and as more people join, the journey lifts you up as if you were going on a picnic. The world is not a place you can live alone in. Let’s embrace each other and live with warm hearts.”

POSCO Gwangyang Technology Development Center – Byoungcho Kim

“I learned three things from this volunteering trip. First, volunteering gives you moments to feel joy with others. Second, I am capable of more volunteering than I what currently participate in. Third, the outcome of volunteering doubles when many people engage in it. I was able to have a good time because someone was always behind me, helping out.”

POSCO Humans Pohang Service Group – Kyoungsil Kim

“Life is a struggle between surplus and shortage. I appreciate the blissful time of sharing my additional resources with others, and experiencing joyful moments being with joyful people.”

POSCO Group University Job Education Group – Hyuntae Shin

“The word ‘volunteering’ has the connotation of a ‘satisfying experience’. Although it was a short experience, I am glad to think that I found my own form of happiness from the trip. Also, I was glad to see the happy smiles of other volunteers. I wish to continue the joy of sharing in the future.”

POSCO Thick Plate Group 1 Thick Plate Plant – Sangjun Lee

“It was a huge honor to join the village volunteers and contribute to the service with every effort. The children’s innocent laughter, the partners’ smiles and our passion have completely changed my life. I learned to give by sharing small things and found a newly cherished my direction in life. Let’s visit the houses again in 10 years. See you again in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam on August 21, 2017!”

POSCO’s employees are not only dedicated to the company, but to helping others as well. Their fourth collaboration with the home partners in Vietnam served to establish stronger communities and better housing, and they are looking forward to going back to reconnect with the local residents.

Please give your support to POSCO’s employees who will continue to volunteer around the world in the future!

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The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation received thank-you letters and gifts from residents of the villages in Ethiopia. It has been supporting various programs such as water line expansion and agricultural education in three villages, Debeso, Adulala and Handode. Furthermore, POSCO family volunteering groups have traveled to the villages between 2012 and 2014, to lend a helping hand.

Children from the Adulala village play in the water at the water supply facility supported by POSCO

Starting with the organization of a new community board and a youth association, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation also constructed a village hall and established a residents association, while reigniting a sense of ownership and promoting harmony through “can do” activities.

In addition, the quality of life of the villagers was greatly improved by constructing new roads and introducing solar-powered lantern systems. The quality of the education for children was also significantly improved by building libraries and kindergarten classrooms. Particularly, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation contributed to solving the the most urgent issue of access to clean drinking water by constructing rainwater tanks and a reservoir for the supply of water for agricultural use. The water tanks will provide drinking water for villagers and for livestock.

After all these projects, villages can see positive changes. Most of all, the energy has been revitalized and the average income increased. Children can now work and study at the same time. Villagers expressed their gratitude by delivering thank-you letters and handmade crafts to the members of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation. “I will never forget the POSCO employees who helped us enjoy the benefits of these various projects,” said the letter from Zanaba Akabiya in Adulala.

Meanwhile, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation will continue to support their sustainable businesses until the end of the year, even after the foundation closes. A representative of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation said, “A bank for livestock, a village hall and the water tanks will be operated and managed by villagers while businesses with less profit and low sustainability will close.”

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.

Pictured here: <Mother in the sea, Haenyeo> exhibition being held at POSCO Art Museum from
May 10~July 3, 2014

Korea’s Haenyeo diving culture at risk of not being recognized by UNESCO

Pictured here: Close-up photograph of a Haenyeo from Joon Choi’s exhibition

In 2013, Haenyeo were chosen by the officials at the Cultural Heritage Administration as South Korea’s candidate for the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2015. The Haenyeo culture is inherently Korean and is one of Korea’s prime intangible assets. However as Haenyeo travelled outside of Jeju, the culture spread to Japan as well. As the Korean government planned to register Haenyeo into the UNESCO list, the Japanese government has been making attempts to add a similar tradition of female divers to the UNESCO list as well with female divers called ama (あま). This has put the chances of Korea’s Haenyeo entering the UNESCO list at risk!

Joon Choi opens global exhibition to protect the cultural heritage of Jeju Haenyeo

Pictured here: Celebrated Korean photographer, Joon Choi, at his exhibition being held at
POSCO Art Museum

This exhibition highlights the work of one of Korea’s most celebrated photographers, Joon Choi. He tried to capture the trials and tribulations of Haenyeo in hopes to gather global support for them. Opening at POSCO Art Museum, the exhibition will be travelling to places around the world including Fukuoka National Museum and Miyazaki Museum in Japan, UNESCO headquarters in France, and Korea Culture Center in Brazil.

The title of the exhibition, <Mother in the sea, Haenyeo > represents the resilience of Haenyeo who must provide and be responsible for their families, much like greatness and care given by mothers.

If you are in Seoul or planning to be, here are directions and information. Admission is free!

Running dates: May 10 – July 3, 2014
Time: Mon-Friday, 10AM through 7PM / Sat, 11AM through 4PM (not opened on Sundays or public holidays)
Address: POSCO Center West B1, 2F. 440 Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Pictured here: Banners promoting Joon Choi’s exhibition at POSCO Center in Seoul

Photographer Joon Choi falls into the lives of Haenyeo

Pictured here: Joon Choi standing in the gallery space surrounded by his works of Haenyeo

So how did celebrated photographer Joon Choi become so passionate about Haenyeo? He studied in Tokyo and gained experience in New York. In 2005, he visited Jeju for an advertising shoot where he coincidentally met Haenyeo and which is where his deep interest in their lives began.

He began to observe the lifestyle of Haenyeo and was surprised by their resilience and will towards sustaining their livelihood. Furthermore, he made parallel comparisons of their way of life to that of a strong-willed mother. He could find comfort within the deep wrinkles of Haenyeo faces and felt the unconditional love and maternal instincts as proven by the rigors of their daily lives.

Pictured here: Captivating photograph of a Haenyeo by Joon Choi

Pictured here: Splashing fin of a Haenyeo during a dive

He continued to make visits to Jeju to capture their lives with photography and in March of 2013, he visited the small island off of Jeju, Udo, to further capture moments of Haenyeo. As Joon Choi was doing this, he heard about the unfortunate news related to Korea’s Haenyeo diving culture at risk of not being recognized by UNESCO. Therefore, he decided that he wanted to share the photographs he had collected over the past 9 years to a wider audience.

Pictured here: Entrance to the photo exhibit, <Mother in the sea, Haenyeo >

With the help of POSCO’s 1% Sharing Foundation which is making efforts to protect Korea’s cultural heritage, Joon Choi’s exhibition, <Mother in the sea, Haenyeo >, was able to become realized. The exhibition at POSCO Art Museum is showing about 160 works and is located in the original gallery space located on the 2^nd floor as well as in the new gallery space opened on the lower lobby floor.

In an interview, Joon Choi mentioned that the most captivating aspect for Joon Choi was that Haenyeo were like the ‘sky’ and had an emotional beauty. He found beauty in how Haenyeo were always faithful to the basics. Moreover, he said “I see the beauty in the faces of Haenyeo which have withstand the sea winds because they show both a strong and delicate façade. They have an aura that extends beyond the outer appearance which reflects the story of their lives felt by their whole bodies.”

Pictured here: Photograph of the youngest Haenyeo by Joon Choi

Pictured here: Waves as seen from Jeju Island

Jeju’s Haenyeo is a unique cultural heritage of Korea! Great support is needed to ensure that Haenyeo can be rightfully recognized as part of UNESCO’s intangible heritage list for 2015. We hope that the special exhibition highlighting Joon Choi’s works at POSCO Art Museum will inspire you to provide support for this cause!

Pictured here: Scenery of Udo, Jeju landscape, home to Korea’s Haenyeo

POSCO’s commitment to building its brand is paying off. POSCO, which increased its brand value by 5%p compared to last year, placed 5^th on the 2014 Best Korea Brands list for the second consecutive year. Based on its TV-CM and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, as well as its internal branding activities, POSCO was evaluated as a brand with an asset value of about 3 trillion won. POSCO ranked 5^th after other Korean powerhouses that topped the list including Samsung, Hyundai, Kia Motors and SK Telecom.

Here are some of the factors that contributed to POSCO making it into the top 5 brands for this year’s list.

1)      A Game Changing Ad Campaign

Last year, POSCO launched its advertising campaign centered around “Becoming the Base of the World”, meant to imply that POSCO will be the foundation for the world. Although POSCO is a B2B company, it successfully showed a softer side to touch the general public and its internal employees.

In the ad shot in the Rocky Mountains, POSCO acts as the compass to guide where to go and the map to show how to go forth to take on a new challenges.

Pictured here: Still shots from 2^nd ad campaign – Where is your base camp?

Another ad captured the precious moments in our life juxtaposed to how POSCO acts as the base for everyone. The overall concept was designed to show POSCO’s vision of creating the foundations for the future through its steel, materials and energy business.

Pictured here: Still shots from 1^st ad campaign – Where is your base camp?

  2)      Commitment to CSR initiatives

POSCO strengthened its overall corporate reputation through various CSR activities. POSCO established its social enterprise ‘POSCO Humans’ in January 2013, aimed at contributing to job creation for socially underprivileged through eco-friendly steel construction projects.

In addition, POSCO established its ‘1% Sharing Foundation’ to promote ‘Sharing 1% for a better world’. The 1% Sharing Foundation raises funds through employee donations from POSCO and investment companies along with matching grants from the company itself.

The ‘1% Sharing Foundation’ launched in October 2011 starting with POSCO officers and senior managers donating 1% of their wages. This then led to voluntary participation of all POSCO Family company employees. As of November 2013, POSCO and 26 family companies have participated in the 1% sharing campaign. The foundation embodies the strengthening of local community capabilities in Korea and globally through service projects for unprivileged citizens and the protection of Korean cultural heritage properties at risk of loss.

 Pictured here: Relief project in the Philippines funded by the 1% Sharing Foundation

3)      Establishing Brand Ambassadors

POSCO created its Brand Ambassador program which includes a group of 36 POSCO employees that come together to share the company’s mission and vision. Together they work to find ways to enhance the POSCO brand through training workshops, special outings and discussion forums.

Pictured here: Brand Ambassdors sharing insights on brand value

Managing Director at Interbrand Korea, Jihun Moon, mentioned in his overall evaluation that POSCO’s “Brand Ambassador program was a successful example of brand internalization” as it contributed towards revitalizing a brand within an organization and emphasized creating support between employees through brand philosophy. 

Pictured here: Brand Ambassadors visiting other companies to gain insight on other brands

Methodology

The Best Korea Brands list is published annually by the global brand consulting group, Interbrand, which also publishes the ‘World Top 100 Brands’. The list is made up of the top 50 brands that represent Korea and is based on the same rigorous evaluation as the ‘World Top 100 Brands’ list. Under the belief that a strong brand, regardless of the market in which it operates, drives improved business performance , the three key components in all valuations include analyses of the competitive strength of the brand, the role the brand plays in the purchase decision, and the financial performance of the branded products or services. For further information on methodology, visit the official Interbrand site.

The full 2014 list is available in the 2014 March issue of Fortune Magazine Korea.

Click here for the full 2013 Best Korea Brands list.

The 10 billion KRW in funds comprises 8 billion KRW from POSCO, 500 million from Daewoo International, 400 million each from POSCO E&C and POSCO Specialty Steel, 300 million from POSCO Energy, and 200 million each from POSCO ICT and POSCO CHEMTECH.  30 employees attended the delivery ceremony, including Vice President Hwang Eunyeon, Vice Chair of the Community Chest of Korea, Lee Jaehu, and other POSCO and Community Chest personnel.

Vice President Hwang Eunyeon said, “There is a DNA of sharing and public good at POSCO. We will continue to implement a range of volunteer activities in local society and fulfill our social responsibilities as a company.”

POSCO has been donating year-end charity funds annually since its founding. The company has donated 10 billion won for the less fortunate every year together with POSCO-funded companies since 2007.

POSCO also established a ‘POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation’ this November to effectively manage donations collected through the ‘1% Sharing Campaign’( a charity program) in which employees donate 1% of their wages. To promote the sharing and donating culture, officers and senior managers of POSCO-funded companies have been voluntarily participating for the past two years, which encouraged the participation of other employees. Over 90% of POSCO employees joined the donation, and the overall participation rate of 26 POSCO-funded companies has been also increased. The company has also been donating via a matching grant.