[Sponsored Report] Korean oil a model member in Vietnam

The Korea National Oil Corporation workers and school officials celebrate the construction of a library at the Dai Hoa Loc Elementary School in Vietnam.

Investing in education allows for economic returns and Korea National Oil Corporation realizes that. KNOC’s Vietnam office found an opportunity to give back to the local community through helping build a library and donating facilities.

The library construction and donation in the Ben Tre province’s Dai Hoa Loc Elementary School in August is a test case for KNOC’s commitment.

The company’s Vietnam office had a sisterhood relationship with the elementary school since 2006 and started its still-continuing social contribution work by constructing five buildings for classrooms.

Besides the material support such as participating in the new library’s groundbreaking ceremony in April, it has also surveyed neighboring schools, public servants, politicians and principles to meet the optimal needs of students and the community.

Since 2006, KNOC has been donating part of its profit to partake in the ambitious project to create a better learning environment for the Dai Hoa Loc Elementary School’s sorely lacking educational facilities. In total the employees raised some $117,000 to help the children in need to dream and hope for a better future.

Last year the company has set a goal to return a portion of the profit of the Vietnam mine development back to the community by inviting some five children from multicultural families living near KNOC’s storage site in Yongin to Vietnam, providing accommodation as well as tourism opportunities.

On July 13 among the volunteers in the Vietnam office and organized a volunteer group (25 KNOC and local staff) and visited Dai Hoa Loc Elementary School and helped out with weed killing with the teachers and painted the five newly built classroom buildings. The labor union also conducted active social contribution activities such as providing recorders to the students and discussed measures to further future development of the school.

Furthermore, KNOC is planning to provide additional budget next year to construct an additional five buildings for classrooms since Dai Hoa Loc Elementary School still lacks facilities.

The Vietnam office head, Jang Gwang-hoon, said, “Representing KNOC we hope that the Vietnam office will be the leader as a member of Vietnamese society and maintain a friendly Korea-Vietnam relationship. In addition, through continuous support on neglected regional schools we hope to fulfill the goal of KNOC, ‘world’s national oil corporation loved by the nation.’?”

By Lee Ji-hyun [concordia@joongang.co.kr]