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NGO seeks 30 climate activists to help preserve the demilitarized zone

Published: 22 Aug. 2025, 10:17

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Members of an inaugural ″Eco-Challengers″ cohort participate in an environmental activity along the Han River in an undated photo. [GLOBAL CIVIC SHARING]

The Seoul-based nongovernmental organization Global Civic Sharing said Thursday that it will take 30 young people on an ecological adventure to the inter-Korean border region next month.

The program, titled “Eco-Challengers,” aims to cultivate future environmental activists whose passion and efforts align with biodiversity targets in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Global Civic Sharing specializes in education- and agriculture-related development projects in Rwanda, Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kenya and Timor Leste. The organization holds special consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

This year’s edition — the second of its kind — is held in partnership with Dongkook Pharmaceutical, with the theme, “Nature heals humans, and humans protect nature.”

The nongovernmental organization will select 30 participants between the ages of 19 and 29. Divided into several teams, the participants will create social media content about biodiversity and the pharmaceutical company’s Madecapharmacia, a dermatology cream made from herbal extract of Centella asiatica.

From Sept. 19 to 21, the Eco-Challengers will stay in the demilitarized zone, where they will explore the area's nature and have a hands-on experience with environmental preservation.

Kim Hye-kyung, chairperson of Global Civic Sharing, said the program is designed to “encourage the younger generation to realize the act of sharing with nature through real-life experiences.”

“It would be a valuable experience for the youth generation to learn the meaning of nature conservation and put their lessons into practice,” Kim said in a press release.

Song Joon-ho, president and CEO of Dongkook Pharmaceutical, said the program could serve as momentum for young people to take action for the Earth and humanity, adding that the company will continuously create environmental and social value.

The Eco-Challengers will receive a certificate of completion, and those who demonstrate outstanding performance will be eligible for extra credit in future hiring opportunities at Dongkook Pharmaceutical.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]