Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter donates W80m to support Korean-language education for migrant-background students in Ulsan

Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter said Tuesday it has donated 80 million won ($57,900) to ChildFund Korea to support Korean-language education for migrant-background students in Ulsan. Of that amount, 60 million won was channeled through ChildFund Korea to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education, with the aim of helping migrant-background students in the region settle in Korea and improve their academic performance.

A donation ceremony was held Friday at the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education in Jung-gu, with about 10 participants in attendance, including Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Yong-sik, Korea Zinc Onsan Smelter Management Support Division Head Park Sung-woong and ChildFund Korea Ulsan Regional Office Head Kim Dong-hwan. At the ceremony, Korea Zinc presented 60 million won to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education through ChildFund Korea's Ulsan regional office.

The 60 million won will go toward Korean-language education programs at Rainbow School — a preparatory Korean-language curriculum institution — and at seven Ulsan elementary and middle schools serving migrant-background students.

The funds will support Korean-language instruction for Rainbow School students and provide students at the seven schools with access to a paid real-time multilingual translation app. The support is expected to help migrant-background students adapt to the public education system and facilitate smoother communication between teachers and parents.

Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter and ChildFund Korea will use the remaining 20 million won to provide online Korean-language education using tablet PCs for migrant-background students at community child centers in Ulsan. The initiative focuses on helping students in areas with limited educational access consistently continue learning Korean online, and is expected to help them adapt to school life and focus on their studies.

Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter has supported migrant-background children through ChildFund Korea's Ulsan regional office since 2018, donating between 60 million and 80 million won annually to fund book purchases and cultural and career-exploration programs. Starting this year, the smelter plans to focus its support on Korean-language education for migrant-background students in partnership with the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education.

"We hope this Korean-language education support project will be a small help to migrant-background students in the Ulsan community as they adapt to Korea's public education system and pursue their studies," a Korea Zinc Onsan Smelter official said. "As a local company rooted in Ulsan, we will continue to carry out a variety of social contribution activities that help nurture talent in the community."

Meanwhile, Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter has been carrying out a range of corporate social responsibility activities, including a recent samgyetang-sharing event organized with the Ulsan chapter of the Korean Red Cross and the Ulju-gun chapter of the Korean Red Cross Volunteer Association.