GWANGJU — Gwangju Shinsegae is widening its environmental work in the region, linking Mount Mudeung, the Gwangju Stream and urban forests. Ahead of Mountain Day, the department store operator cleaned up the Wonhyosa trail on Mount Mudeung and has since extended its efforts to improving water quality in the Gwangju Stream and restoring the city's ecosystem.
Gwangju Shinsegae said on the 14th that a volunteer group of employees carried out a cleanup around the Wonhyosa trail on Mount Mudeung ahead of Mountain Day, which falls on the 18th. The activity was organized in consideration of the rise in litter along the trail that can accompany a seasonal increase in autumn hikers.
Employees collected trash along the trail so that visitors to Mount Mudeung could hike in a cleaner environment. Biodegradable bags were used for the collection, a step intended to reduce the environmental burden of the conservation work itself.
Mountain Day, designated by the Korea Forest Service, was established in 2002 to raise awareness of the value and importance of mountains. It falls on Oct. 18 each year, timed to October, when autumn foliage is at its peak.
This is not the company's first conservation effort on Mount Mudeung. In October 2023, employees held a group plogging event around the Wonhyosa area to mark the opening of the mountain's summit, part of a continued push to preserve a site that serves as a regional landmark.
Gwangju Shinsegae is also carrying out environmental activities across central Gwangju, not only on Mount Mudeung.
Last month, to mark the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the company threw soil balls into the Gwangju Stream. The balls, made by mixing loess with beneficial microorganisms such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria, are intended to improve water quality and reduce odor. In April, the company also held a gardening event along the Pureungil greenway near Namgwangju Station in Dong-gu. Employees and residents planted about 500 nectar-producing plants, including daffodils and daisies, to help restore the urban ecosystem.
Gwangju Shinsegae said it plans to expand such environmental activities in partnership with the local community.
"We hope Gwangju Shinsegae's various environmental activities will serve as an opportunity for the local community to take a deeper interest in the environment," said Lee Dong-hoon, chief executive of Gwangju Shinsegae. "Since we launched as a local corporation to grow together with the region, we will continue to work to put our love for the community into practice."