Kangwonland – Work Together (WT) Foundation – Local self-support centers from the cities of Jeongseon, Yeongwol, Taebaek and Samcheok concluded an agreement for the support of the New and Renewable Energy Social Enterprise Establishment.
They promoted the environmental friendly wood pellet heater and the fuel supply enterprise.
The agreement was concluded on March 3rd.
Kangwonland (Cho Ki-song, executive director), the Work Together Foundation (Song Wol-joo, chairman) and the Jeongseon, Yeongwol, Taebaek, and Samcheok Local Self-support Centers promoted the agreement for the establishment of the New and Renewable Energy Social Enterprise to promote and operate the new and renewable energy enterprise supplying wood pellets and wood pellet heaters on Tuesday, March 3rd at 11:30 am at the grand ballroom of the Kangwonland Hotel.
About fifty people including CHO, Ki-song (executive director of Kangwonland), Song Wol-joo (chairman of the WT foundation), Kim Nam-soo (Director-General of Industry and Economy in Kangwon-do), and the heads of local government from Jeongseon, Yeongwol, Taebaek, and Samcheok attended this agreement to introduce the start of the New and Renewable Energy Supply Enterprise.The participants evaluated Kangwon-do, which used to be known as an abandoned mine area, as a new Mecca of new and renewable energy enterprises to solve both environmental and employment problems at the same time through this agreement.
YOON, Kwang Yong (director of the WT Foundation) from the new and renewable energy distribution project group said “The ultimate goal is incorporating the new and renewable energy supply enterprise and then developing it into a social enterprise which creates fifty jobs in the local community and contributes to local energy independence”
The foundation supports the establishment of the new and renewable energy social enterprise as an alternative type of job creating project addressing three issues in the community - social employment, energy independence, and energy welfare. It is expected to solve all three pending issues simultaneously by supplying wood pellets and wood pellet heaters for free to the disadvantaged. There is also a plan to establish a wood pellet manufacturing factory after a local survey of public opinion and a research investigation of the enterprise through multinational cooperative relations with the Forest Service, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, and local governments.
Meanwhile, the new and renewable energy supply entrepreneurs hired low-income individuals residing in the abandoned mine area and proceeded to train them for wood pellet heater installation and repair jobs. They also installed wood pellet fuel heaters for 50 different minor classes and social public facilities for free in four different cities last January.
Translated by MIN, Jeong Eun
Edited by Patrick Ferraro & Marie LEE
