Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter holds blood donation campaign

Korea Zinc's Onsan smelter held its "2026 Second-Half Life Sharing Integrated ESG (environmental, social and governance) Campaign" with the Korean Red Cross Ulsan Blood Center on Tuesday, the company announced Wednesday.

The Onsan smelter has been running blood donation drives and related campaigns under an MOU signed with the Korean Red Cross Ulsan Blood Center. The latest campaign, held for the second time this year following a first-half event, was organized to help stabilize the local blood supply and promote a culture of respect for life.

Employees from Korea Zinc and its affiliates and partner companies took part in blood donations and also registered as prospective hematopoietic stem cell donors, offering a potential lifeline to patients with leukemia and other blood disorders. Stem cell transplants are a key treatment option for such patients, but finding a donor whose human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type matches a patient's is difficult, making it important to build a large pool of registered donors.

The Onsan smelter deployed two mobile blood donation buses and used advance reservations and staggered time slots to ensure smooth participation. Employees who donated blood received local gift certificates as a token of appreciation — a gesture that also aimed to boost spending within the community.

"We are committed to fulfilling our responsibilities as a member of the local community, and this blood donation campaign is part of that effort," an Onsan smelter official said. "We will continue to do our best to be a corporate citizen that contributes to the community in an ever-wider range of ways."

The Onsan smelter launched its first group blood donation drive in 2012 and has consistently carried on life-sharing activities since then. Including this campaign, about 250 employees in total have donated blood, contributing to the stability of the local blood supply.

Meanwhile, Korea Zinc recently held an eco-forest experience event called "A Green Day Together," open to employees and their families. The event was part of "Eum-ui Sup," a forest restoration project Korea Zinc has been pursuing at home and abroad, aimed at raising awareness of the importance of forest restoration and biodiversity conservation.