Picking up litter while learning about local culture, participants say they've grown attached to Ulsan

More than 50 employees and their families from HD Hyundai Heavy, both Korean and foreign nationals, clean up the area around the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, on Sunday, also taking in the rock art of the UNESCO World Heritage site Bangucheon. [HD Hyundai Heavy]
More than 50 employees and their families from HD Hyundai Heavy, both Korean and foreign nationals, clean up the area around the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, on Sunday, also taking in the rock art of the UNESCO World Heritage site Bangucheon. [HD Hyundai Heavy]

Families of Korean and foreign employees at HD Hyundai Heavy took part in a "Hi-Together" plogging volunteer event Sunday near the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Dudong-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan. The Hi-Together program is a corporate social responsibility initiative designed to help foreign employees become engaged members of their local communities.

More than 50 participants from six countries joined the cleanup — 25 from South Korea, 10 from Sri Lanka, 8 from Vietnam, 4 from Thailand, 2 from Uzbekistan and 2 from Indonesia. The group walked a 3-kilometer stretch from the Bangudae Petroglyphs Museum to the Bangudae rock art site, picking up litter along the way while listening to cultural commentary from a guide.

Participants also visited "Cheonjeon-ri Inscriptions and Rock Carvings," inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July last year, and reflected on the significance of preserving a heritage site that belongs to all of humanity.

The event wrapped up with team-building games, including a water bottle stacking contest, a shoe-toss target game and a charades-style activity, giving participants a chance to bond across nationalities.

Achini, 40, a Sri Lankan national, said she has been living in Ulsan with her family since joining HD Hyundai Heavy. "Doing an environmental protection activity at Bangudae, a World Heritage site, together with my children has made me feel even more attached to Ulsan," she said.


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