Under the slogan, "Sharing love and hope", Posco practices altruism through a variety of community service activities that comprise a part of Posco's Corporate Sustainability Management (CSM).

This year, a total of 130,000 people — including both employees and their families — participated in a wide range of volunteer activities. Currently, there are 246 volunteer teams within the company, with about 19,000 employees participating in volunteer activities an average of six times this year.

Also, the company's "Beautiful Saturday" campaign has been a huge success. Both executives and employees alike participate in various social activities during the campaign, such as giving baths, doing laundry, cleaning homes, being friends, and repairing facilities for senior citizens and the physically challenged. All these activities are very well received and garner positive responses from those in need that now look forward to the third Saturday of each month. As a result, the number of "Beautiful Saturday" participants has grown to 2,700 -- 27% of Posco's entire full time staff. In March and November, the company held "Beautiful Saturday" events in tandem with the Beautiful Store. At both events, a total of 136,000 items were donated and sold - the most by any single corporation in Korea. All profits were donated to charity.

To commemorate the first Pohang Citizen's Day on June 12, 2004, the company held a high-tech light festival, designed to bring hope to Pohang citizens who are having difficulties caused by the economic recession. The company is also assisting 220 needy families in Pohang and Kwangyang by donating 200,000 to 300,000 KRW (200 to 300 USD) each month for one year. Additionally, Posco operates soup kitchens in Pohang and Kwangyang (founded May, 2004) — the first among all Korean corporations. The soup kitchens fed about 60,000 citizens this year.

Started in September, the "Mentoring system" is seeing success, as 98 Posco employees in the Pohang area have formed a one-on-one friendship and guardianship with young people experiencing financial hardship. This has been well received by the local community as an effort to get adolescent boys and girls on the right path.

Another activity the company participated in was "Odds and Ends of Love for 991," a social campaign designed to encourage 990 people to help one person by collecting and donating a minimum of 991 KRW (.95 USD) a month to benefit neighbors with financial difficulties. Blood donation activities were also promoted on a semiannual basis where 3,912 employees (20.1% of the entire Posco workforce) donated their blood.

Chaired by President Chang-Oh Kang, the Posco Volunteer Team (launched in May 2003) has systemized existing volunteer activities. The team provided uniforms and backpacks to all of its executives and employees, and purchased accident insurance policies for all of them. It also introduced the "Matching Grant" system through which the company matches the amount of money donated to charities by its employees.

Posco has also set up a social activity assistance system through which individual volunteer activity information can be researched at any time. The volunteer activity mileage system has also been introduced to certify the amount of time an employee has volunteered. Posco also gives assistance money to volunteer groups to fund new service projects. 1,000 KRW (.96 USD) is given for each hour of service, with a quarterly ceiling of 500,000 KRW (475 USD).

"A company that is indifferent to alienated neighbors cannot earn respect and trust from society." This is the philosophy of Posco's Chairman & CEO Ku-Taek Lee. Despite his busy schedule, Chairman Lee visited farming families in Cheongwon-Gun, Chungbuk at the beginning of the year. Mr. Lee tried to encourage those families whose farms had been severely damaged by heavy snow by helping them collect steel pipes and vinyl. Chairman Lee has a strong passion for volunteer activities. At "Beautiful Saturday" events, he and his wife, Jeong-Ran Lee, worked as day sales assistants with great pleasure.

President Kang is also actively engaged in various volunteer activities. In November this year, he showed up wearing an apron at Posco's Sharing Plaza to help with sales.