S-Oil, one of top three oil refineries in Korea, has strengthened socially responsible activities for its sustainable future.

S-Oil takes a strategic approach to CSR activities. It developed the integrated CSR program, dubbed the “sunshine sharing campaign,” by adopting sharing as one of its core corporate values. Under the campaign, the company runs three support programs for heroes, the environment and local community. 

One major target of the “hero support program” is firefighters who are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect citizens. They face tougher working conditions than other civil servants since they are exposed to danger on the job.

S-Oil has run a variety of firefighter support programs since 2006 with cooperation from the Korea National Council on Social Welfare.

The refiner runs a financial support program for injured firefighters or the bereaved families of deceased firefighters. As of now, it offers financial support to about 30 injured firefighters.

Another highlight of the program is scholarships for children of fallen firefighters. The company contributes 3 million won ($2,800) annually to each scholarship recipient to support their education.

In order to make its support more effective, S-Oil sponsors those children until they finish school, and places no limit on the number of children who receive its scholarship. Among this year’s scholarship recipients, there were as many as 30 firefighter families with two or more children.

At the end of each year, the company offers an award to acknowledge exemplary firefighters. There is also a “healing” program for firefighter couples, aimed at offering a chance for them to rest.

S-Oil said it would continuously expand its hero support program for firefighters to boost their morale and the program. The government offered the Order of the President to S-Oil ‘s firefighter support program on Firefighting Day on Nov. 9 last year.

By Seo Jee-yeon  (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)