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| Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, from left, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo |
By Baek Byung-yeul
Samsung, Hyundai, LG and other conglomerates here are fulfilling their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by increasing their support for the community as many people are experiencing hard times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, industry sources said Wednesday.
The conglomerates have specifically improved relief efforts to aid those hit by the coronavirus, offering massive donations, daily necessities and medical supplies to help people who have been impacted.
Samsung donated 50 billion won ($46 million) to the Community Chest of Korea, Dec. 1. The group noted the donation will be used to support youth education, living costs for the socially vulnerable and improving and repairing social welfare facilities.
Samsung said 13 affiliates including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display and Samsung Biologics took part in the donation drive this year.
Also, it decided to purchase 300,000 calendars made by nine non-profit organizations such as UNICEF, JA Korea, Kids & Future Foundation, ChildFund Korea and the Blue Tree Foundation to distribute to its employees.
Samsung said it decided to purchase the calendars as the money will be used to support youth education and child welfare programs. Samsung has gradually increased its support for the community. Since 1999, the company has given 670 billion won in year-end donations.
From 1999 to 2003, the conglomerate donated 10 billion won each year. The amount of the annual donation was increased to 20 billion won from 2004 to 2010. After the group donated 30 billion won in 2011, it has donated 50 billion won each year since 2012.
Hyundai Motor Group also donated 25 billion won to the Community Chest of Korea, Wednesday, as part of its year-end donations. The money will be used to reduce social polarization and provide aid to people who have fallen into blind spots of social welfare programs.
"Hyundai Motor Group will continue to support socially vulnerable groups and conduct various programs to help solve social problems so that we can fulfill our social responsibility," a group official said.
Hyundai Motor Group started to donate to the Community Chest of Korea since 2003. Since 2013, the group has donated 25 billion won each year and its total has reached 309 billion won.
In order to become a more responsible organization, Hyundai Motor Group has focused on having a positive societal impact. The group has highlighted the six "moves" of its CSR activities ― safe move, easy move, green move, happy move, dream move and next move.
Under the happy move category, the group has provided support and engaged in collaborative activities based on the needs of local communities, including non-profit organizations and its partner companies. With its dream move activity, the group has provided various support programs for future generations.
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| Lee Bang-soo, left, president of LG Corp.'s CSR activities, poses with Ye Jong-seok, chairman of the Community Chest of Korea, after delivering a donation of 12 billion won, Tuesday. / Courtesy of LG Corp. |
LG Group also donated 12 billion won to the Community Chest of Korea, Tuesday, and its employees will conduct non-face-to-face volunteer activities.
Since 1999, the group has donated around 200 billion won. The donation will be used to cover the living expenses for vulnerable members of society, improve their residential and educational environments and support education programs for the young.
Employees of the group affiliates have been performing none face-to-face volunteer activities. LG Electronics employees and their family members created audio book versions of fairy tales and have been delivering them to children of multicultural families since last month. For people with hearing difficulties, they also created film subtitles.
LG Display employees have been engaged in food donations as they purchased kimchi and delivered the side-dish to social welfare facilities near their workplaces. And LG CNS employees have offered online coding education for children.
