Korea Zinc awards W200m in scholarships to 175 Nowon-gu youth

Korea Zinc announced Wednesday that it has awarded 200 million won ($136,000) in scholarships to 175 high school and university students in Nowon-gu, Seoul, to help them pursue their goals. The company, which maintains a residential facility in Nowon-gu, has carried out community partnership activities for more than a decade, supporting local talent and vulnerable groups.

The Nowon-gu youth scholarship program, known as "Ryeo (Yeo)," is a project Korea Zinc has sponsored for 11 consecutive years through the Community Chest of Korea as part of its efforts to nurture local talent. The program provides a total of 200 million won to roughly 170 high school and university students residing in Nowon-gu who have consistently worked toward their goals. Since 2016, Korea Zinc has distributed a cumulative 2.2 billion won in scholarships, benefiting a total of 1,920 students.

The "2026 Nowon Education Welfare Foundation Scholarship Presentation Ceremony and Nowon Youth Vision Festival," held Tuesday at the main auditorium of the Nowon-gu District Office, drew about 250 attendees, including Nowon-gu Mayor Seo Jun-o, Korea Zinc Vice President Kim Ki-jun, Nowon Education Welfare Foundation Chairman Jo Hae-yeong, other key officials, donors and scholarship recipients.

The first part of the event featured a career lecture as part of the youth vision festival. The second part included a progress report on the scholarship program, a donation presentation and a scholarship certificate presentation.

"We hope this scholarship will serve as a solid stepping stone for young people to believe in their own potential and move steadily toward their dreams," Kim said. "Korea Zinc views talent development as one of the most meaningful forms of social contribution as a company that grows alongside its community, and we will continue to provide sustained support so that young people can grow into outstanding contributors to our society."

Mayor Seo expressed his gratitude to Korea Zinc and other organizational and individual donors for serving as a strong pillar for scholarship recipients who will lead Nowon-gu's future. "Nowon-gu will further strengthen this warm public-private solidarity so that scholarship recipients can achieve their dreams undeterred, regardless of their circumstances," he said.

Beyond the Nowon-gu scholarship program, Korea Zinc also fulfills its corporate social responsibility by donating health-boosting summer foods, kimchi, briquettes and rice for vulnerable residents in the Nowon-gu area each year through the Seoul branch's northern service center of the Korean Red Cross.

Also on Tuesday, Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter donated 20 million won to support the livelihoods of low-income veterans in Ulsan during the extreme summer heat.