POSCO volunteers expand marine cleanup efforts to remote islands

Posco Volunteers for Clean Ocean conduct marine cleanup activities on the coastlines of Dokdo and Ulleungdo (Posco) Posco's employee volunteers are expanding their marine cleanup activities beyond waters near the steelmaker's main operations in Pohang and Gwangyang to remote islands and waters surrounding Jeju Island, Ulleungdo and Dokdo.Established in 2009, Posco Volunteers for Clean Ocean is an employee-led group made up of workers who share a passion for the ocean and a commitment to protecting the marine environment. Since its founding, the volunteer group has carried out activities such as collecting marine debris and eradicating invasive species around the coastlines of Pohang and Gwangyang, where Posco’s facilities are located. The group has collected a cumulative total of 2,500 metric tons of marine debris as of this year, according to the company.This year, the group began expanding its cleanup operations through public-private partnerships with organizations including the Korea Marine Environment Management Corp. and the Ulleungdo-Dokdo Ocean Science Station.The volunteers have since extended their activities to remote and uninhabited islands, including Gajangdo near Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, and Jukdo in Gangwon Province, as well as waters around Jeju Island, Ulleungdo and Dokdo.Posco said the volunteers' professional diving skills have played a key role in broadening the scope of their work. About 180 members hold professional diving licenses, and 16 hold diving instructor trainer licenses, the highest-level credential.Posco actively supports the volunteer group by subsidizing education fees for license obtainment.Cooperation with marine-related agencies has also helped the group carry out cleanup work in areas that are difficult for the public to reach and where abandoned fishing gear and other waste can accumulate, it added.Moving forward, Posco Volunteers for Clean Ocean plans to strengthen its role as a representative ocean-protection group by continuing its cleaning activities and systematically training new divers.