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2023. Dec VOL.669
2023. Dec VOL.669
Mi-ja Park, manager at the Juam Dam branch, has been working at K-water for over 40 years since joining the Yeosu branch in 1984. She has been working at the Juam Dam branch since 2008. While working at the Juam Dam branch, Park transformed an abandoned school building near the dam into “Seungju Eco Market,” a residents’ self-reliance welfare package platform as a K-water style landmark community platform combining production, sales, and marketing. The community platform has given back 20% of its profit or some KRW 15 million to society each year. Seungju Eco Market has become a new workplace for local residents, and a total of 783 residents found jobs at the market in 2022. In addition, the social enterprise “Songgwang Euirae” was launched to promote a win-win approach to growth together with local communities. Songgwang Euirae is a local community that specializes in the eco-friendly production of soy bean paste, red pepper paste, soy sauce, and other traditional Korean fermented sauces and condiments using locally grown agricultural products in order to cope with the aging population and boost the local economy. It has successfully launched a local brand and generated total revenue of KRW 1.7 billion with the participation of over 200 local residents and 880 local households.
She also created a recycling model using waste plastic—which has been chosen as one of the best local problem-solving platforms for Jeonnam Province for two consecutive years—and supported a residents’ cooperative-type floating solar panel project. The projects have generated income for local residents and also contributed to ESG promotion by enhancing residents’ awareness of carbon neutrality.
Park was recognized with the 2022 Anti-corruption & Integrity Commendation by the UN Organizing Committee on International Anti-Corruption Day for organizing and conducting integrity campaigns with other organizations located near Juam Dam. She has not only created the value of public interest by sharing the knowhow of successful dam support projects at home and abroad but also led a sound corporate culture with exemplary behaviors by proactively responding to residents’ demands and overcoming droughts.
She also worked with local residents to launch environmental campaigns for quarterly quality improvement and various other campaigns with the aim of raising public awareness of other environmental issues as part of fulfilling the role of Juam Dam, which has become the center of the local community. Furthermore, she worked on creating a win-win environment for local residents including operating food trucks and providing CPR kiosks in an effort to reach out to socially disadvantaged people. At the beginning of the year, Park played an important role in overcoming droughts by encouraging and persuading local municipalities to join a voluntary water-saving program. In November, she was actively involved in organizing and hosting the 1st Suncheon Resources Recycling Festival designed to serve as a venue for offering information on how to implement recycling to spread green life and culture. Park has been constantly trying to develop new projects, and she will continue to take on new challenges and embrace new ideas.
So many people have helped me and encouraged me to try new ideas and take on all those challenges. I would like to share this honor with them. I’ve tried to remind myself constantly of the goals I had in mind when I first joined K-water, and I have worked tirelessly to achieve those goals, taking one day at a time. And today, all those years of hard work and commitment seem to have paid off. I am so grateful and honored. I consider myself lucky because I have been able to work in this wonderful environment, and I will do my best as a proud K-water employee to help K-water shine in the remaining years of my service.
