Hana Financial chief joins zero plastic challenge

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo holds a non-plastic cup in a promotional image distributed by the group, Wednesday, vowing to join "Bye Bye Plastic Challenge" initiated by the environment ministry. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo has participated in the environmental protection campaign called "Bye Bye Plastic Challenge," the financial group said Wednesday.

The Bye Bye Plastic Challenge is a social media relay campaign that the Ministry of Environment has been promoting since last August.

The challenge's aim is to reduce the unnecessary use of plastic in daily life to mitigate plastic pollution by encouraging people to adopt more eco-friendly habits, such as using reusable items, not asking for signle-use ustensils when ordering deliveries and reducing the use of wet wipes and plastic straws.

Ham's participation in the challenge came as he was recommended by Kim Byong-joon, chairman of Community Chest of Korea, to join the environmental social media relay.

After being tapped by Kim, Hana Financial Group chief set aside time to share the importance of environmental protection activities in daily life with employees of the financial giant at the headquarters of the group in Seoul.

He also promoted the campaign through Hana Financial Group's official social media channels by uploading posts about it, hoping the group's participation could further encourage not only its employees but also the public to join in the eco-friendly campaign to reduce plastic use.

Ham recommended Kim Woong-ki, chairman of Global Sae-A Group, as the next participant in the relay campaign.

"Through the Bye Bye Plastic Challenge, I hope that the habit of reducing unnecessary plastic use could be ingrained in everyone's daily lives," the Hana Financial Group chief said, adding that the group will proactively lead various environmental, social and corporate governance management practices to create a sustainable future and generate social value.