POSCO (005490.KS) is teaming up with the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM) to clean up the marine environment around uninhabited islands.
POSCO said Wednesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KOEM on May 22 for "private-sector participation in improving the marine environment of uninhabited islands." The two sides will pursue public-private cooperation to build a sustainable marine ecosystem protection model.
KOEM, Korea's only public institution specializing in marine environment affairs, has been running a marine debris collection project around uninhabited islands since 2023. The two sides specifically plan to jointly carry out regular cleanup activities on uninhabited islands and nearby waters, joint public-private marine cleanup campaigns, and public awareness activities to improve the marine environment.
In particular, the POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteer Corps will expand its scope of activities from business sites such as Pohang and Gwangyang to uninhabited islands in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions. As a first step, ahead of the "Day of the Sea" on May 31, the group will conduct large-scale cleanup activities at uninhabited islands near Gumanri in Pohang and at Samdo Island in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.
The POSCO Clean Ocean Volunteer Corps is a talent-based volunteer group of POSCO employees launched in 2009. To date, about 24,000 participants have collected a cumulative 2,468 tons of marine debris. In particular, about 180 volunteers with diving certifications are collecting underwater waste and harmful marine organisms, contributing to the preservation of underwater biodiversity and improving convenience for local fishermen.
POSCO is also continuing its "Triton artificial reef" installation and marine forest creation projects to prevent ocean desertification through public-private cooperation. Triton is an artificial reef developed by POSCO and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) using steel slag, a byproduct of the steel production process. Rich in minerals such as iron and calcium, it promotes seaweed growth and contributes to ecosystem restoration and species diversity preservation.
In November 2024, POSCO created a 5,000-square-meter marine forest in the waters off Gupyeong 1-ri and Moporri in Pohang together with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. It is also creating seagrass forests in the Gwangyang Bay area, a key "blue carbon" resource that absorbs carbon up to 50 times faster than land forests. POSCO plans to expand cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and local governments to distribute "ocean fertilizer" that promotes seaweed germination and growth.
"We will strengthen institutional and technical cooperation so that the public-private partnership structure does not end as a one-off effort," a POSCO official said. "We will build a long-term win-win model that makes a practical contribution to marine environmental protection and carbon reduction."
