"Your commute will taste better!" A 'happy workplace' created with Ottogi opens

사진 확대

Along with the warm news that recently arrived in Jeju Island, Ottogi Corporation's distinctive ESG efforts, quietly carried out over many years, are drawing attention. We took a closer look at Ottogi's win-win management practices, which have gone beyond simple donations to stand alongside marginalized neighbors in our society.

Q1. I heard there was good news from Jeju Island recently. What is it about?

On May 8, the first Goodwill Store in the Jeju area, Milal Jeju Yeondong Branch, officially opened. The news was especially meaningful because it came ahead of May 20, Day of Persons with Disabilities. By offering the first-floor space of Ottogi's Jeju branch free of charge, a valuable workplace was created for people with developmental disabilities in the region.

Q2. What exactly is a Goodwill Store, and why does Ottogi support it?

A Goodwill Store repairs and sells donated items from the public while providing jobs for people with disabilities. Since 2012, Ottogi has worked with the Miral Welfare Foundation for 14 years, supporting not just donations but self-reliance through employment. With the opening of the Jeju store, five employees with developmental disabilities have become new full-time colleagues.

Q3. When people think of 'Ottogi,' they think of support for children with heart disease. Is that still ongoing?

Of course. Support for children with congenital heart disease, which began in 1992, is one of Ottogi's core initiatives. Guided by the belief that "children, the leaders of the future, must be healthy," the company has continued the program for more than 30 years and has given new life to more than 6,000 children so far.

Q4. Special consideration for visually impaired people also drew attention. What was it?

Ottogi listened to visually impaired customers who said it was difficult to find the line for pouring water into cup noodles. The company now has braille labels on all of its product containers. Recently, it expanded the system beyond cup noodles to cup rice and packaged porridge, continuing its efforts to protect everyone's right to eat safely and conveniently.

Q5. Did the company even create its own workplace to hire people with disabilities?

Yes. It is OTOKI Friends, a subsidiary-type standard workplace for people with disabilities. There, employees with disabilities are hired as full-time workers and handle packaging processes for Ottogi's planned products. It is Ottogi's practical model for helping people with disabilities become confident members of society and achieve economic independence.

Q6. I heard the company is also serious about nurturing talent and advancing academic research.

Through the Ottogi Ham Tae-ho Foundation, the company is helping brighten the future of the food industry. Since 1996, it has provided scholarships to university students and encouraged progress in food science by awarding the Ottogi Ham Tae-ho Academic Award to outstanding researchers. It has also supported the construction of Library H, a specialized library, helping create better study environments.

Q7. These days, when people talk about ESG, the environment cannot be left out. What is Ottogi doing?

Ottogi has established a 2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap and is moving toward net zero. It has adopted flexographic printing processes that reduce carbon emissions and Eco Package materials that are easier to recycle. More recently, it has expanded the use of circular CR-PET bottles made from recycled plastic, taking care of the planet's health as well.

Q8. What does Ottogi's map of sharing look like going forward?

At the opening ceremony in Jeju, President Hwang Seong-man said, "The Goodwill Store Jeju Yeondong Branch is the first store to open on the beautiful island of Jeju, so it is even more meaningful." He added, "We will continue to do our best with the Goodwill Store so that we can provide stable jobs for people with developmental disabilities in Jeju and supply good products to local residents and tourists."

One-line summary: "Like Ottogi, which gets back up after falling, the passion of 'Ottogi' for creating workplaces where socially vulnerable people can stand tall and for caring for the health of the planet is expected to keep going without cooling down, even within three minutes!"