SK hynix has joined a public-private initiative to restore the ecosystem of the Namdae Stream in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, as the chipmaker expands its “water positive” environmental strategy.
The company said Friday it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Gangwon State, Yangyang County, Korea Water Resources Corp. and Korea Environment Corp. to improve aging weirs along the Namdae Stream, one of South Korea’s best-known salmon migration rivers.
“This project will serve as an example of how corporate water positive activities can become a tool for mutual growth with local communities and the natural environment,” SK hynix Chief Production Officer Lee Byoung-ki said in a statement.
The project, scheduled to run from 2026 through 2037, aims to restore water flow and reconnect disrupted aquatic ecosystems by upgrading deteriorated barriers that have obstructed salmon returning upstream to spawn.
Namdae Stream has long been regarded as South Korea’s largest salmon migration stream, but aging infrastructure and altered water flows have increasingly disrupted fish movement and damaged the surrounding ecosystem, the company explained.
The initiative is part of the broader “water positive” concept, under which companies seek to return more clean water to nature than they consume, amid growing concerns over water scarcity and climate risks.
Under the partnership, the government will oversee policy support while public agencies identify and manage restoration projects, with corporate participation helping fund and execute the work.
The company said the river restoration effort could also boost the local economy by improving waterfront environments and strengthening the area’s appeal as an eco-tourism destination.
herim@heraldcorp.com
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