Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter donates 50 million won to support visually impaired in Ulsan

Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter announced Friday that it donated 50 million won ($32,200) to the Ulsan Metropolitan City Welfare Center for the Visually Impaired through the Ulsan Community Chest of Korea, to help visually impaired residents and their families in the Ulsan area improve their quality of life.

A donation ceremony was held Tuesday at the welfare center in Nam-gu, Ulsan, attended by Park Seong-ung, head of management support at Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter; Yang Ho-young, secretary general of the Ulsan Community Chest of Korea; and Lee Jeong-hui, director of the welfare center, along with other officials.

The welfare center plans to use the donation to run a "co-prosperity welfare project for the visually impaired," centered on three areas: strengthening family functions, building vocational skills and promoting health rights.

The family support component will include family counseling, parenting education and hands-on activities. The vocational skills program will offer training in confectionery, baking and barista skills, and will connect qualified visually impaired individuals with employment opportunities. A health support program will cover implant treatment costs for low-income visually impaired residents.

Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter has partnered with the welfare center since 2018 on corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for the visually impaired. Past efforts have included providing computers, Braille printers and assistive technology devices to improve information access, as well as residential improvement projects — such as installing smart gas valves and replacing lighting with LED fixtures — to create safer living environments. More recently, the smelter has operated vocational training and family relationship programs to support the economic and emotional independence of visually impaired individuals.

"Integrated support that addresses family, work and health together is more important than piecemeal assistance when it comes to improving welfare and building self-reliance among the visually impaired," Park said. "Korea Zinc will consistently carry out meaningful corporate social responsibility activities that make a real difference in the quality of life for vulnerable members of the Ulsan community, including the visually impaired."

Meanwhile, Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter last month donated 2.9 tons of white rice — 143 bags of 20 kilograms each — worth 10 million won to the Ulju Southern Senior Welfare Center, as part of its ongoing corporate social responsibility efforts.

In recognition of its consistent contributions to community co-prosperity, the smelter has received the top rating for three consecutive years since 2023 in the Community Contribution Recognition Program, jointly administered by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Council of Social Welfare.