Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter donates W230m to bolster Ulsan's disaster preparedness

Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter said Thursday it has donated 230 million won ($168,000) to the city of Ulsan to help build a proactive disaster and emergency response system.

A handover ceremony held Aug. 25 was attended by Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk, Park Sung-woong, head of management support at the Onsan Smelter, Jeon Young-do, chairman of the Ulsan chapter of the Community Chest of Korea, and Kim Jong-gil, chairman of the Ulsan Volunteer Center.

The donation goes beyond the company's existing practice of supporting recovery after disasters, aiming instead to lay the groundwork for rapid assistance to residents by ensuring that necessary equipment and relief supplies are in place before emergencies occur. The funds will be channeled through the Ulsan Volunteer Center and five district-level volunteer centers to build mobile field support infrastructure and procure supplies for emergency relief and on-site response.

Each of the five district volunteer centers will use the funds to establish a mobile field support capability. Plans call for the purchase of eco-friendly electric vans capable of quickly transporting personnel and relief supplies to disaster sites — particularly vehicles equipped with vehicle-to-load (V2L) external power supply functionality to provide electricity on the ground. The funds will also go toward emergency relief supplies for displaced residents, including food and drinking water, as well as field equipment such as power banks and accordion-style tents.

Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter said it plans to use this initiative as a springboard to expand its corporate social responsibility activities from post-disaster recovery support to proactive pre-disaster preparedness.

"Disasters and emergencies are difficult to predict — when and where they will strike — so I believe it is important not only to provide support after damage occurs, but to prepare thoroughly in advance," Park said. "I hope this contribution will make a real difference in delivering the help residents need more quickly when a disaster strikes, and in minimizing the harm."

Meanwhile, the Onsan Smelter has been carrying out social contribution activities across a range of areas. It recently donated 80 million won to ChildFund Korea to support Korean-language education for students with immigrant backgrounds living in Ulsan.