“1% Happiness Sharing Fund” is a program in which SK Innovation members voluntarily contribute 1% of their base compensation to support multiple social contribution programs. The aggregate amount of “1% Happiness Sharing Fund”, which started in 2017, has surpassed KRW 11.7 billion, despite the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

A total of 6,572 SK Innovation members in Korea are participating in this meaningful fund, joining hands to resolve various social issues with ceaseless efforts. As the year draws to a close, let us take a look back at some major activities under the scope of “1% Happiness Sharing Fund” in 2021, which are sorted by three themes: Environment, Safetynet, and Support the Vunerable.

ㅣSanhaejinmi Plogging Campaign

▲ (Left) CEO of SK Innovation Kim Jun (second from left in the left photo) joins the company members in Sanhaejinmin Plogging Campaign in Seoul last June.

In commemoration of the month of the environment last June, SK Innovation initiated volunteer activity Sanhaejinmi Plogging, with all members participating, as a part of the ESG initiative to render practical solutions to the waste plastic problem. Sanhaejinmi Plogging Campaign has been planned based on the commitment to create a Truly Beautiful Earth through the mountain and the sea.

Also, SK Innovation entered an ‘agreement for activities responding to Climate Change and realize carbon-neutral society’ with Korea Volunteer Center and Community Chest of Korea, expanding Sanhaejinmi Plogging Campaign to a nationwide initiative from an internal event.

Sanhaejinmi Plogging Campaign was participated by 6,707 members of SK Innovation, with 13,452 kg of waste has been collected in total. It is estimated that around 100,000 citizens across the country have partaken in the ensuing nationwide campaign, “Hello, we will be with you, the Sanhaejimi”, and cleared a total of 315,000km of road through plogging, or 7 times circumnavigating the Earth.

Besides, SK Innovation has established a co-operation network with municipal government and other agencies in the local area where domestic or international business venues are located to expand the Sanhaejinmi Plogging Campaign so that the foundation has been laid for all stakeholders including SK Innovation community to exercise and proliferate environmental values

ㅣMangrove Reforestation Project

As a part of practicing ESG management, SK Innovation is constantly engaging in a Mangrove Reforestation Project to respond to climate change and preserve biodiversity.

To recognize and resolve the issue of mangrove forests, which were destroyed due to uncontrolled development and climate change, SK Innovation continued to support planting activities of mangrove saplings in Tra Vinh Province region of Vietnam, starting in 2018. Notably, even though our activities faced a lot of challenges on the ground due to COVID-19, local residents collected their efforts to complete the seeding of around 140,000 mangrove saplings in the 46ha area in a short period of time.

▲ Last June 19, SK Innovation proceeded with mangrove sapling planting activities in ‘Van Island’ near Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam alongside local residents.

SK Innovation’s achievement is shined through the efforts to proactively respond to climate change which successfully restored mangrove forests with a total aread of 116 ha in Vietnam. In Auguest, the local government of Tra Vinh Province recognized such contribution of SK Innovation and bestowed the award of achievement to Manglub, a social enterprise supported by SK Innovation.

▲ SK Innovation and Manglub receive awards for contribution from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, Vietnam, in recognition of the Mangrove Reforestation Project in August 2021.

Manglub has operated numerous educational platforms to raise awareness of local residents on the environment, created and monitored mangrove forest within Vietnam. Especially in 2021, Manglub led various online awareness programs for local residents about providing knowledge related to mangrove, and emphasizing the perception of joint responsibility, considering COVID-19 circumstances.

▲ Online educational content for local residents in Vietnam which the social enterprise ‘Manglub’ conveyed to raise awareness on the environment in association with SK Innovation.

Meanwhile, BNBP (Biz N Biodiversity Platform) also recognized a genuine approach of SK Innovation and years of contribution, and selected SK Innovation for the 2020’s Best Practice of Corporate Management and Biodiversity Platform. 2021 was a meaningful year when the commitment of SK Innovation to realize the environmental value has borne fruit.

Utilizing 1% Happiness Sharing Fund, SK Innovation leads various projects that discover and support vulnerable sectors of the society prone to inadequate response to myriads of disasters and crisis and strives to create a social safety net. This year, the members of the SK Innovation community delivered the warmth that they and their peers have gathered one by one to the neighbors in pockets of local communities who need the hand to help them due to the scars that COVID-19 left.

To solidify the social safety net destabilized due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, affiliates of the SK Group found things they can do right now to help. Among the numerous issues to be addressed, SK focused on the issue of starvation which seemed to have the highest priority and launched the “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact”. It was designed to support both the vulnerable who are struggling to put food in their stomach and small restaurants which are struggling to survive with plummeting sales due to COVID-19. SK Innovation, along with group partners, took part and share the strength in this project.

▲ CEO of SK Energy Cho Kyong-mok (upper left), CEO of SK Geo Centric Na Kyung-soo (lower left), CEO of SK Lubricants Cha Gyu-tak (lower right) take part in “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” program earlier this year

115 members of SK Innovation and affiliate companies participated in volunteer activities through “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” to package and share warm lunch boxes in about 3 months. Moreover, SK Innovation collaborated with the company’s workplace venues of all regions as well as social welfare institutions such as central single senior support centers along the way and passed down the warmth of neighbors with more than 62,000 meals of lunch boxes and food kits to over 900 people in vulnerable sector.

▲ (From upper left, clockwise direction) Members of SK Innovation Community in Daejeon, Headquarters, Seosan, Incheon, Ulsan, Jeungpyeong donated for the “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” program.

In addition, SK Innovation Ulsan Complex contributed to establishing social safety net through actively leading ▲ projects supporting COVID-19 response efforts, medical staff and screening clinics ▲ emergency support for high-risk households.

Utilizing “1% Happiness Sharing Fund”, SK Innovation has kept engaging in social supporting activities to provide aid to numerous vulnerable populations in the local community. Here below are some main programs operated by each business site of SK Innovation in Korea. 

▲ SK Incheon Petrochem handed housewarming gifts commemorating their Home Repair with Love Project’s 100^th beneficiary. / (Right) A staff member of Sk Incheon Petrochem is putting on fire-resistant stickers visiting the 100^th beneficiary of the ‘Home Repair with Love’ Project.

SK Incheon Petrochem shared that by December 2021, the “Home Repair with Love,” a project led by the company to improve housing welfare in the local community, has benefited more than 100 households. 

▲ (Left) SK Incheon Petrochem signed a business agreement for a project to support cataract surgery at Seo-gu Office, Incheon, Korea, in November 2021 / (Right) SK Incheon Petrochem delivers the donation to support “Miracle of 119” project to the Western Incheon Fire Station in September 2021.

SK Incheon Petrochem signed a business agreement to establish medical safety net and treat cataracts of medically vulnerable populations in the Seogu region of Incheon, preparing the foundation to provide economic support for senior citizens who often necessitate surgery for cataracts. Moreover, for the recent two years, SK Incheon Petrochem has been participating in a campaign called the “Miracle of 119” held by Incheon Fire Agency, raising a fund of total KRW 301 million and supported 45 victims of fire and accidents so far.

(*) Miracle of 119: the campaign began in August 2019 with a few members of the Incheon Fire Agency initiated to help the victims of heartbreaking accidents which the personnel of the Incheon Fire Agency faced in the line of duty.

Meanwhile, SK Innovation Headquarters and Ulsan Complex are continuing the project to support children diagnosed with leukemia, childhood cancer and other intractable diseases in covering their medical bills. This year, the SK Innovation community supported the medical expenses of 44 children using the donated funds of KRW 600 million to alleviate the economic burden of young patients and their families.

▲ Magician Jung Wonmin received support in repairing his prosthetic leg through SK Innovation’s ‘2019 1% sharing happiness program’

SK Innovation Headquarters and Ulsan Complex did not shy away in 2021 from providing for disabled households which require the help of local communities. Through the “Project to support the production of prosthetic arms and legs for disabled people,” which started in 2012, SK Innovation has supported 11 people with amputees this year. SK Innovation Ulsan Complex also runs a business to support low-income households that have disabled member with a total amount of KRW 340 million per year.

In addition, led by SK Innovation’s Ulsan Complex conveyed the warm empathy and compassion of the members of SK Innovation and affiliates during the year 2021. Other notable projects include ▲the project supporting the children and youth who had been victims of domestic abuse ▲the project supporting the family of single mothers in crisis and ▲ the project supporting low-income young talents.

In the year 2021, SK Innovation collected the strength of the community’s members to look for solutions for social issues and presented happiness throughout many corners of the local communities visiting marginalized neighbors. In the future, SK Innovation will continue to take a lead to proliferate its environmental and social values through persisting social outreach activities using “1% Happiness Sharing Fund” along with the members of the SK Innovation community.