On June 11, AustCham Korea CEO Rowan Petz and Project Manager Shelly Lee joined POSCO Holdings for a community volunteer program in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do — one of the regions most severely affected by the devastating wildfires of March 2025. Scott Lee of Kim & Chang also participated, representing AustCham Korea’s corporate member network and its commitment to supporting recovery and resilience efforts.

The visit formed part of POSCO Holdings’ broader ESG and CSR commitments. A POSCO Holdings representative explained that the initiative was motivated by the company’s desire to explore preventative and response strategies for future climate-related disasters following the catastrophic wildfires in Korea’s Yeongnam region, and that the company is actively considering a benchmarking mission to Australia to study its bushfire response systems and adapt key learnings for Korea.

On the ground in Andong, volunteers from POSCO Holdings, AustCham Korea, and local partners worked in fire-damaged apple orchards to assist affected households and better understand the community’s recovery needs. These hands-on activities served both immediate recovery purposes and POSCO Holdings’ long-term goal of embedding lived experience into its future disaster response planning.

Local residents and volunteer firefighters shared emotional testimonies of the wildfire’s rapid and violent spread, which was intensified by strong winds, dry forest matter, and limited visibility due to airborne embers. Structural challenges compounded the devastation — including power outages that cut off water pumps, destroyed communication infrastructure, and severely limited emergency response coordination. Despite these obstacles, local volunteers risked their lives to protect their neighbours, with one resident recalling the rescue of an elderly person from a blackout-stricken home.

In the aftermath, the region continues to face complex recovery challenges. Temporary housing was quickly established, but residents cited issues such as poor insulation, noise, and lack of privacy. Officials and volunteers also grappled with the logistics of managing overwhelming volumes of donated supplies. The damage included over 1,400 affected households and 400 homes completely destroyed.

Participants in the site visit raised pressing concerns, including the need for early-warning systems, basic firefighting equipment in remote communities, national-level coordination, and trauma support for residents. They also emphasised the importance of rebuilding local safety infrastructure and fostering a new generation trained in emergency response.

AustCham Korea commends POSCO Holdings’ leadership in convening this multi-stakeholder dialogue and is proud to have contributed to an initiative that exemplifies the power of corporate and civic collaboration. As Korea confronts the realities of climate change, this visit marks the beginning of deeper conversations on building more resilient and fire-prepared communities nationwide.