Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter marks 22nd year of engineering education program for elementary students

Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter announced Wednesday that it held its 2026 Junior Engineering Classroom at Deoksin Elementary School in Ulju-gun, Ulsan.

The Junior Engineering Classroom at Deoksin Elementary School is a corporate social responsibility program that has run for 22 consecutive years, tracing its origins to a one-company, one-school partnership Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter formed with the school in 2005. Employees participate directly as guest teachers, explaining scientific and engineering principles at a level suited to the students and guiding them through hands-on lessons in building educational kits.

This year's program ran over three days — Oct. 6, Oct. 8 and Oct. 12 — with 27 employees serving as guest teachers for 275 students across 13 classes in grades 4 through 6. Rather than simply having students assemble kits, the lessons were structured so that students first learned the engineering principles behind each device before building and operating it themselves. This allowed them to experience a range of everyday engineering technologies in a natural, intuitive way.

Fourth-graders built an "equalizer phone stand" in which an LED lights up when a sound sensor detects noise, learning how sound sensors and electronic circuits work. Fifth-graders assembled a walking robot to explore the mechanics of machine movement, while sixth-graders built an autonomous vehicle and experimented firsthand with how sensors detect obstacles and adjust the direction of travel. Korea Zinc said it plans to continue holding the Junior Engineering Classroom to foster students' scientific curiosity and spirit of inquiry.

"The Junior Engineering Classroom is a signature social contribution program of the Onsan smelter, where our employees personally step in as guest teachers to share their knowledge and experience with local students," an official at Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter said. "Building on the 22-year relationship we have cultivated, we will continue working with the local community to create diverse educational opportunities that help students grow their curiosity about science and engineering and expand their dreams for the future."

Korea Zinc carries out a range of social contribution activities aimed at the next generation in the Ulsan area. The company has donated school development funds to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education since 2008 and has contributed a cumulative 700 million won ($527,000) in development funds to the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) since 2021. It also works with the Ulsan education office and ChildFund Korea on programs to support the education of children from immigrant backgrounds.

In addition, Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter recently released 20 giant water bugs — a critically endangered species — into the Galti Pond area of Ulsan Grand Park in collaboration with the National Institute of Ecology, Ulsan-based social enterprise Sooksok-ui Jageun Chingudeul and the Ulsan Facilities Corporation, as part of its ongoing efforts to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities.