Endangered Yellow-throated Marten Spotted... Hyundai Mobis Sees Results in Ecosystem Restoration

Creating Mireusup near the Jincheon Plant with an Investment of 10 Billion Won
Habitats of Endangered Otters and Legally Protected Leopard Cats Also Confirmed

Endangered wild animals have been successively spotted in the Miho River area of Mireusup in Jincheon-gun, North Chungcheong Province, where Hyundai Mobis has been carrying out biodiversity conservation activities, signaling tangible results in eco-friendly ecosystem restoration.

Yellow-throated marten captured on CCTV in the Miho River area of Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, where Hyundai Mobis is carrying out biodiversity conservation activities (left). A yellow-throated marten, a Class II endangered wild species (right, Getty Images). Photo by Hyundai Mobis

Hyundai Mobis announced on the 25th that a research team led by Professor Park Byung-kwon of the Korea Urban Ecology Research Institute has confirmed the presence of martens, classified as a Class II endangered wild species, in Mireusup.

The marten is a species of yellow-throated marten, a carnivorous mammal known as a top predator in the ecosystem. The presence of martens indicates that the lower-level food web is also being stably maintained. In Mireusup, the habitats of otters, which are both Natural Monuments and endangered species, and leopard cats, which are legally protected, were also confirmed last year.

Hyundai Mobis has been conducting biodiversity conservation activities in the Miho River area. In particular, Mireusup is a forest created by Hyundai Mobis near its Jincheon Plant, an exclusive production base for automotive electronic components, with an investment of around 10 billion won over 10 years starting in 2012, covering a total area of 108 hectares (approximately 330,000 pyeong).

Panorama of Mireusup, developed by Hyundai Mobis over 10 years from 2012 and donated to Jincheon City. Photo by Hyundai Mobis

After donating Mireusup to Jincheon-gun, the company has been promoting a social contribution project since 2023 to build a biodiversity ecosystem in Mireusup and the Miho River area, in cooperation with the local government and the social cooperative Han River and Forest Together.

In the Miho River area, Hyundai Mobis releases fry of the Miho spine loach, a Natural Monument, conducts quarterly ecosystem monitoring, carries out environmental cleanup activities needed to create habitats, and operates ecosystem education programs for the next generation. By promoting biodiversity enhancement activities that encourage participation by employees and local residents, it has become established as a leading eco-friendly social contribution case in Korea.

Han Sung-hee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Sustainability Management Office at Hyundai Mobis, said, "We will not stop at reducing carbon emissions throughout the entire product manufacturing process and producing eco-friendly products, but will also take the lead in creating social value by taking into account the environmental characteristics of the local communities where our major business sites are located."