Ceremony held for Dokdo's west islet water channel and pathway restoration project

30 outstanding employees visit Dokdo for history and culture tour

Chairman Ko Young-chul pledges continued support for cultural heritage and local communities

Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives Chairman Ko Young-chul (front row, fifth from left) poses with the KFCC Dokdo Expedition team on Dokdo on Friday. [KFCC]
Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives Chairman Ko Young-chul (front row, fifth from left) poses with the KFCC Dokdo Expedition team on Dokdo on Friday. [KFCC]

The Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives will provide about 1.6 billion won ($1.19 million) toward the restoration of the water channel and pathway on the west islet of Dokdo through 2027. The federation is channeling donations linked to its financial products into Dokdo conservation efforts while also supporting cultural heritage protection on Ulleungdo.

The federation announced Tuesday that it had operated the "KFCC Dokdo Expedition" across Pohang, Ulleungdo and Dokdo from Wednesday through Friday, conducting cultural heritage conservation activities during the trip.

Thirty KFCC employees who had excelled in the federation's "KFCC National Heritage Eobuba Savings Account Activation Campaign" took part in the expedition. Participants visited Dokdo, received expert commentary at the Dokdo Museum, and explored the history and culture of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. They also joined a cultural experience program at Dodong-ri House, a cultural heritage site on Ulleungdo.

During the expedition, the federation co-hosted a ceremony marking the Dokdo west islet water channel and pathway restoration project with the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea National Trust. Attendees shared updates on the project's progress and future plans, and reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in preserving Dokdo's natural environment and historical value.

The restoration project is being carried out through a partnership among the federation, the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea National Trust. When savings accounts under the KFCC National Heritage Eobuba Savings Account and the Dokdo Love Savings Account mature and are closed, the KFCC Social Contribution Foundation donates an amount equivalent to 1 percent of the contract value to support cultural heritage conservation and Dokdo protection activities. Through this mechanism, the federation plans to provide about 1.6 billion won toward the Dokdo west islet water channel and pathway restoration project through 2027.

The federation also extended support for cultural heritage preservation on Ulleungdo. On Thursday, it donated 5 million won in development funds to the Ulleung History and Culture Experience Center. The funds will be used for facility maintenance and the operation of history and culture programs. The center serves as a regional cultural hub dedicated to preserving and promoting the modern history of Ulleungdo and the history and culture of Dokdo.

Beyond Dokdo, the federation has also been working to preserve traditional regional culture. It participated as a sponsor of the 30th Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival, held in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, from Oct. 8 to 10. Since 2018, the federation has partnered with Jeonju to support the establishment of the Jeonju Hanji Cooperative, the development and marketing of hanji products, and the training of future artisans. It is also running a project to plant paper mulberry — the primary raw material for hanji — to promote domestic sourcing of the material and improve the local environment.

"This expedition was meaningful in that KFCC employees visited Dokdo firsthand to appreciate the value of cultural heritage conservation and contributed to the cultural development of the Ulleungdo region," Chairman Ko Young-chul said. "We will continue to carry out a wide range of social contribution activities to protect our precious national heritage and grow together with local communities."

Meanwhile, the Dokdo Love Savings Account, launched by the federation in July, sold out its limit of 100,000 accounts and closed early on Aug. 7 — just 12 days after its launch. The KFCC National Heritage Eobuba Savings Account, launched in August last year, recorded cumulative subscriptions of 130.6 billion won. Both products have since closed. Since 2020, the federation has been engaged in cultural heritage conservation activities, including supporting the transmission of intangible heritage and replacing window paper at the four grand palaces and historic private homes across the country.


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